Veolia has been awarded the operation and maintenance (O&M) contract for the Aguas Pacífico multipurpose desalination plant in Valparaíso, the first facility in Chile designed to supply both municipal and industrial water needs. The plant has a capacity of 1,000 liters per second.
The contract was awarded after a competitive tender involving five national and international companies. Veolia reports that it has designed and built 18% of the world’s installed desalination capacity using its own technologies.
Javier Moreno Hueyo, General Manager of Aguas Pacífico, said: “We are very pleased with the transparent and competitive development of this bidding process, which marks a new milestone for Aguas Pacífico. The award to Veolia, a company with a strong national and international track record in the operation of desalination plants, gives us full confidence to guarantee our clients an efficient, safe, and sustainable service, in line with the highest environmental and social standards. This new step allows us to advance in our challenge of combating drought and the effects of climate change in central Chile.”
Elier González, CEO of Veolia Chile and Peru, emphasized the company’s commitment to sustainability: “Without a doubt, this contract strengthens our GreenUp strategic plan, which seeks to accelerate ecological transformation through innovative solutions, in this case, in water and energy management.”
The agreement includes a support phase for the commissioning of the plant and aqueduct, followed by the full O&M phase once the facility reaches operational capacity. When the plant is producing 1,000 liters per second of desalinated water and delivering it to customers in the Valparaíso and Metropolitan regions, Veolia will begin managing both the desalination facility and the associated aqueduct and storage infrastructure.
Both phases of the contract will last up to four years, with the possibility of extensions that could run until 2040.
The plant’s operation will rely entirely on renewable energy and prioritize local employment, with 60% of the workforce expected to come from the surrounding region. It will also supply water to Rural Sanitary Services in Limache and Olmué, communities particularly affected by prolonged drought, and use advanced marine intake and outfall systems to minimize environmental impact.
Aguas Pacífico remains the legal owner and entity responsible for the desalination plant and aqueduct.
