A joint venture led by Veolia Water Technologies’ Spanish operation has completed the 97.2 Ml/d Campo Dalías reverse osmosis desalination plant in the south of Spain.
The €130 million (US$ 143 million) plant is one of Europe’s largest and will supply potable water to some 300,000 people and irrigate 8,000 hectares of land in Almeria in Andalusia. It was designed and built by Veolia Water Technologies’ with capacity to be expanded to an output of 129.6 Ml/d. Veolia Water Technologies Spain and its joint venture partners will operate the plant under a 15- year deal.
The plant has been promoted by the Spanish Ministry for Agriculture, Food and Environment throughWater Spanish Society ACUAMED. It is expected to allow the natural regeneration of the aquifers and avoid their agricultural overexploitation.
“The Campo Dalías desalination plant proves the capacity of the Spanish team to design, construct and operate big projects”, said managing director for Veolia Water Technologies in Spain and Portugal, .José Ángel Legaz, ”
Raw water is drawn through a 1.6 km submarine intake pipe to pretreatment by 40 double- stage filters before going to a double-pass reverse osmosis train. The first pass
comprises six skids equipped with isobaric chambers as an energy recovery system that recovers up to 95% of the brine pressure which is then transferred to the
feed to reduce pumping requirements.
A second, six-skid reverse osmosis pass reduces the boron concentration to less than 0.5 mg/l to comply with irrigation requirements.
The desalinated water is remineralized and disinfected step to ensures the output is suitable for human consumption and irrigation.
Brine is discharged backed to the see via a 2 km pipe equipped with diffusors to prevent disturbance to marine fauna and flora.