Monday, September 16, 2013

Salty problems

If building the F1 track at Valencia was an expensive folly, consider the cost of that in relation to the desalination plant at Torrevieja.  The much vaunted project of the socialist government nine years ago cost 300 million euros and is still not fully operational.

2011-02-28-larga_vida_al_agua_int1 It was meant to provide water for irrigation and replace the transfer of water from the Tajo to the Segura. Unfortunately it still faces two major problems, the lack of a suitable energy supply and more important customers.

According to the Zapatero government, the plant needed to deliver 40 to 80 hectometres of water for irrigation. Apart from the fact that the existing power supply cannot meet that demand, the price of the water and its quality are proving to be stumbling blocks. The price of water from the transfer was 0.14 euros per cubic metre and from the plant 0.50 euros per cubic metre added to which the quality is not suitable for certain crops.

Those municipalities that were forced to sign an agreement to buy water from the desalination plant are seeking an amendment.

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