- A GS Inima led-consortium, formed by Aquapor and Luságua has signed a €107 million agreement with Águas do Algarve.
- Commissioning of the new plant will help to create an alternative source capable of guaranteeing the resilience of public water supply to the Algarve’s population.
- The signing ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister of Portugal, Luís Montenegro, the Minister for the Environment, Maria Graça Carvalho, and the Deputy Minister for Territorial Cohesion, Manuel Castro Almeida, among many other personalities.
A contract was signed yesterday between Águas do Algarve and the consortium made up of GS Inima, Aquapor and Luságua for the design, construction and operation of the Algarve desalination plant in Albufeira. This project, of great strategic importance, will guarantee the supply of drinking water for thousands of inhabitants and will allow crucial economic activities to continue, fostering the sustainable development of the area.
In the presence of the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, the Minister of the Environment, Maria Da Graça Carvalho, the Deputy Minister of Territorial Cohesion, Manuel Castro Almeida, GS Inima´s CEO, Marta Verde and Isabel Soares, President of the Águas de Portugal group, as well as representatives of the consortium, this project landmark agreement was highlighted as a pioneer plant that will make possible the use of sea water, a resource that was not available until now.
“This desalination project here in the Algarve is an important moment, as we are taking a step towards another opportunity: the use of seawater, which until now was not available. An opportunity that is not minor, since in this specific case it will give this region the possibility of having access to drinking water equivalent to approximately 20% of the Algarve’s current urban consumption” Luís Montenegro, Prime Minister of Portugal.
The project, scheduled for completion by the end of 2026, will use innovative technologies with the aim of reducing the infrastructure’s energy consumption, making it more environmentally sustainable. In this sense, the use of renewable energy sources will be favored, through the installation of a self-consumption plant equipped with photovoltaic panels that will occupy around 4,5 hectares. With these measures, the consortium aims to reduce operating costs and minimize environmental impacts, in line with the global objectives of combating climate change.
With a production capacity of 16 million m³ of drinking water in the first phase, the infrastructure is being designed to reach 24 million m³ per year. This project, which uses a reverse osmosis system, will guarantee the supply of drinking water to thousands of inhabitants and its positive impact will be felt in agricultural activities, industry and tourism – key sectors for the local economy that depend directly on a stable water supply.
“With more than six decades of proven international experience in the field of desalination, we are very proud to be involved in this project and fully committed to providing sustainable and efficient water solutions that guarantee a safe and reliable supply of drinking water to almost one hundred thousand people” Marta Verde, CEO, GS Inima-