Pedro Sánchez was in Torrevieja on Wednesday where he paid a whirlwind visit to the Torrevieja desalination plant. With water production costs being a major issue, the Prime Minister was able to announce the start-up of photovoltaic solar plants that will bring down the cost of production per cubic meter of desalinated water.

This photovoltaic park, which is in the preliminary phase of development, “will make the facilities more sustainable and will allow the price of desalinated water to be reduced by around 4 cents per cubic meter,” said the Prime Minister

Following a tour around the centre Sánchez made a statement to the press but refused to accept and questions.

During the visit, in which he was accompanied by an entourage of almost 40 ‘hangers on’, a huge security deployment of National Police and Guardia Civil managed to distance protesters that had gathered at the entrance to the plant after a call by groups of local farmers earlier in the day. One farmer told the Leader, “This was a peaceful protest but still, there were almost more agents than irrigators.”

Sánchez said that the Torrevieja plant will continue to be the one with the largest capacity in Europe, something that will be further strengthened with the expansion, which will allow production from the current 80 cubic hectometers per year to 120 hm³ with an increase in available water resources of 50%.

The Government has put out to tender the construction of this project which will cost 108 million euros. At this time the award process has received offers from large companies in the sector, five in total, including Acciona, which built and continues to operate the plant, along with Ferrovial, Dragados, Lantania and OHL.

The delegation that accompanied Sánchez on the visit comprised of the Secretary of State for the Environment, Hugo Morán, the Government delegate in the Valencian Community, Pilar Bernabé, the president of Acuamed, the public company that operates the desalination plant, Francisco Baratech, the president of the Segura Hydrographic Confederation, Mario Urrea and the president of the Taibilla Canals Association, Francisca Baraza.