The expansion of the Marbella desalination plant has involved an investment of 8 million euros and will help meet the water needs of both the Costa del Sol and the province. On Tuesday 8th, the president of the 'Junta de Andalucía' (Andalusian Regional Government), Juanma Moreno, inaugurated the project, which was completed in just over 16 months and increases the plant’s capacity by 20 hm³ per year.
- A la inauguración han asistido el consejero de Agricultura de la Junta, Ramón Fernández-Pacheco (3º dch.), o la consejera de Economía, Carolina España (2ª dch.). |
- M. J. Gómez.
Moreno stated that "water policies are an absolute priority for the Andalusian Government, as they should be for all public administrations, especially for the Spanish Government", noting that this desalination plant is not owned by the Regional Government, but is in fact a State infrastructure project of general interest. "It was built in the late 1990s with a production capacity of 20 hm³ of desalinated water per year, but for years it was only able to produce 6 hm³, three times below its capacity", added the regional president, who also remarked that "once again,The Andalusian Government has once again had to come to the rescue and tackle a fundamental project that was not within our remit". The works have involved the modernisation of all stages of the desalination plant, enabling an increase in the production of desalinated water as well as an improvement in its quality.
- Se trata de una desaladora con una capacidad de 20 hectómetros cúbicos. |
- M. J. Gómez.
Moreno also highlighted that this is a dynamic and important area of the Costa del Sol, which triples its population in summer and is home to major agri-food companies and, until recently, was in a serious drought situation. He explained that this desalination plant is already capable of desalinating up to 20 hm3 per year, which represents between 15 and 20% of the Costa del Sol's water needs or, in other words, guarantees a quarter of the resources needed by such a dynamic area and, if necessary, would allow resources to be transferred from the Costa del Sol to Malaga and from Malaga to La Axarquía, as the systems are connected.
Investment by the 'Junta'
The event began with the unveiling of a plaque commemorating the day and continued with a tour of the facilities and a tasting of the desalinated water. The official inauguration was attended by, among others, the Regional Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Ramón Fernández-Pacheco; the Regional Minister of Economy, Finance and European Funds, Carolina España, and the mayoresses of the municipalities of the Costa del Sol, including Ana Mata (PP) from Mijas. The mayoress of Mijas stressed that "for the peace of mind of all of us who live in this part of Andalusia, and after all the drought decrees we have been subjected to in recent times due to the lack of water infrastructure, today is an important day. Finally, a desalination plant with a capacity of 20 cubic hectometres has been developed and fully implemented". "This project has received financial support and strong commitment from the Junta de Andalucía Government. Although it belongs to the Spanish Government, it is the Andalusian Government that has been concerned about the emergency situation we have been experiencing over the last few months’.
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