The Decentralized Autonomous Government of the Municipality of Cantón Esmeraldas (Ecuador) has awarded a joint venture headed by ACCIONA the construction, extension and improvement of water catchment and potabilization in Esmeraldas, the capital of the province of the same name in the north of the country, for around 30 million dollars (approximately 27 million euros).

The project, which will be carried out by ACCIONA Agua (51%) together with BTD (49%), will provide a service to more than 200,000 people. It is a turnkey contract lasting 2 years financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and includes a potable water plant and an electricity substation.

The contract also covers a number of measures to modernize the entire potable water system of the city and its hinterland. For example, the extension of the catchment in the river Esmeraldas, doubling the present length of the spillway to capture 3,200 liters per second, the installation of pumps and new potabilization modules, the optimization of the present potable water plant and the construction of a new drinking water pumping station. It also covers repairs to the collection tanks and new sewerage and piping systems.

ACCIONA already has a strong presence in Ecuador, where it is constructing the wastewater treatment plant at Ibarra, also in the north of the country. The facility has a capacity of 43,200 m³ per day, and when finished will provide a service to a population equivalent of almost 200,000. ACCIONA Infrastructure was also recently awarded the construction of the first line of the Quito Metro, a 22-kilometer-long tunnel with 15 stations and other ancillary installations.