INDIA – The Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) is accelerating construction work on Nemmeli’s third desalination plant and expects the plant to commence operation in April. Construction of the plant and the main water transmission pipelines is currently 80 percent completed. Once finished the plant will have the capacity to treat 150,000 m3/d. (The New Indian Express)
MEXICO – Los Cabos water utility Oomsapas in Mexico’s Baja California Sur state has resumed its plans to build a desalination plant in the municipality of Los Cabos. Construction recently began after a long delay due to political opposition and is expected to take two years. It is the only desalination plant being constructed in Mexico. Acciona Agua in a consortium with La Peninsular Compañía Constructora holds the 25-year concession contract to design, build, operate and maintain the plant. The plant will have a capacity of 21,600 m3/d and is estimated to cost $143 million. (Bnamericas)
INDONESIA – Black & Veatch has signed a contract with PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) to build a desalination plant for PTFI’s Manyar Smelter in East Java. The plant will support the processing of mine concentrates from the Grasberg mine in Wets Papua. Black & Veatch in collaboration with its joint operating agreement partner PT Wilka, will perform the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning responsibilities for the desalination plant. The facility will be located adjacent to the Manyar Smelter Project and will produce 33,600 m3 of desalinated water to support the copper smelter and precious metals refinery. (Businesswire)
La Viñuela reservoir in Spain. Credit: SUR in English
SPAIN – The Institute of Domotics and Energy Efficiency at Malaga University (Trops) and the Cobra Group, are planning to build a desalination plant that would be powered by floating solar panels on La Viñuela reservoir. The plant will have a production capacity ranging between 54,794 m3/d and 109,589 m3/d and is expected to cost $153 million. The floating solar panels will be able to produce 250 megawatts and will power the desalination system as well as companies in the area. The electricity from the solar panels will pump the water from the plant to La Viñuela reservoir, which will always be full. The plant’s brine will be sold as a resource with multiple uses and the project backers estimate that $2.13 million a year could be earned from this material. (SUR in English)