Sacyr Water has been awarded the wastewater treatment and distribution P3 contract for the city of Antofagasta, Chile, in a project tendered by Chile’s Sanitary Services Company, Econssa. Sacyr Water will be responsible for maintaining and developing this important project in northern Chile.
The project will involve an investment of approximately US$292 million and is expected to improve the quality of life for Antofagasta’s residents while also supplying water services to mining companies in the region. The concession term for the project is 35 years.
This project marks Sacyr's second P3 contract win in 2025, following the Rutas del Este expansion contract in Paraguay.
The project has received approval for its Environmental Qualification Resolution, dated December 2020. The main purpose of the new treatment facility will be to capture pre-treated wastewater from the existing Antofagasta plant, operated by Sacyr Water. This water will be transferred to the Salar del Carmen area, where the new plant will have a final treatment capacity of 900 liters per second.
The existing plant currently provides treated wastewater, ultrapure water, and industrial water. The new project, which will focus on recycling water for mining, is expected to improve the region's sustainability and create over 500 jobs locally.
The pretreated water will be transferred over 16 kilometers to the Salar del Carmen sector, including a 5.4-kilometer section in the urban area that will be constructed using micro-tunneling. Additionally, 24 kilometers of pipeline will be built to La Negra and another 24 kilometers to Mantos Blancos.
The new treatment plant is scheduled to be operational by 2028.
"This plant represents the most significant water reuse project in Latin America and the scope of this P3 project will mark a pioneering trend in water reuse," said Lucas de Marcos, General Manager of Sacyr Water in Chile.
Sacyr operates in Chile through various business lines, including Sacyr Water, Sacyr Concesiones, and Sacyr Engineering and Infrastructure, with projects in 14 of the country’s 16 regions.
