Renewable Energy Used in Mediterranean Desal Plant

Acuamed, a state-owned water company operating in the Mediterranean, has awarded Spanish Iberdrola S.A. the electrical supply of all its plants, including its largest desalination plant in Torrevieja in 2010.

The $8.28-million contract specifies that all energy supplied to the desalination plants operated by Acuamed, as well as distribution networks and company offices, must come from renewable sources. This helps to settle the controversy between Acuamed and the local authorities who argued the Torrevieja Plant would have an excess of energy consumption.

Another part in Acuamed’s award is flexibility on demand, which allows desalinated water production to be adapted to times when energy prices are low or to certain special circumstances of transmission or distribution networks.

The following plants will be covered by this agreement, in the Mediterranean areas of Carboneras (Almeria), Torrevieja (Alicante), Aguilas (Murcia), Bajo Almanzora (Almeria) and the denitrification plant at La Eliana (Valencia).