Canal de Isabel II has awarded ACCIONA the contract for the operation and maintenance of the el Arroyo Culebro, Cuenca Media Alta and Arroyo Culebro Cuenca Baja wastewater treatment plants for 44.7 million euros over a timescale of five years.

The two facilities, which are part of Batch I for the Tagus and Tajuña river basins, provide a service to the municipalities of Getafe, Pinto, Fuenlabrada, Leganés, Humanes and Parla covering a population of 2.5 million.

The award particularly values the technical improvements proposed by ACCIONA aimed at improving the efficiency of the plants and adapting them to new European requirements on wastewater treatment and energy sustainability.

Among the proposals presented we would highlight an 80% reduction in total nitrogen in treated water, in line with a new European norm that demands a greater elimination of nutrients and is stricter regarding discharge limits.

ACCIONA has also put forward measures to increase the energy self-sufficiency of the Arroyo Culebro Cuenca Baja WWTP by extracting energy from sludge generated in other facilities. As a result, the plant will be able to achieve energy self-sufficiency of 65.4%, without taking into account the contribution of its photovoltaic installation.

The two treatment plants are among the most advanced in Spain for their treatment capacity and the incorporation of water regeneration technologies and the recovery of energy from waste products. In particular, the Arroyo Culebro Cuenca Media Alta WWTP is equipped with ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis systems that make it a European benchmark in the production of water regenerated for industrial and urban uses.

This facility also houses a pioneering green hydrogen production installation sponsored by Canal de Isabel II that uses regenerated water and renewable energy from solar panels, and from biogas generated in the wastewater treatment plant.

The award of the contract also reinforces ACCIONA’s continuity of operations, as it manages both plants and undertook the construction of the Arroyo Culebro Cuenca Baja wastewater treatment plant.