28/05/2012 Lanzarote (BG) - Minister for Water of the Canary Islands Government, Juan Ramón Hernández, has announced that the new water desalination plant “Lanzarote V” will begin operating in 2013, almost three years after the facility, boasting a capacity to desalinate approximately 12,000 cubic metres of water per day, was approved in 2010. The construction contract for the plant was awarded to Acciona in December 2010 for slightly less than €6.9million, two million less than its initial budget, and was considered a major “priority” at the time.
Conditions of the agreed tender state that the company awarded the contract have a maximum time period of one and a half years to ensure the desalination plant is ready for use. In principle this means the plant should be fully completed and ready for use at this time. The plant will be located at the site of the existing plants at the complex in Punta Inalsa in Los Vientos (Lanzarote, Lanzarote III and Lanzarote IV) and Yaiza (South-Janubio Insala).
According to the Minister, Lanzarote will continue to be in a precarious position of water emergency until the new plant is fully functioning. The demand for desalinated water in Lanzarote increased in 2010 reaching a level of 93,806 cubic meters per day, placing significant pressure on the existing desalination plants already operating on the island.
The Minister added that in October 2011 the company began the task of constructing the electrical and mechanical equipment, accounting for nearly 86% of the total budget. Last March also saw the commencement of structural work, like the refurbishment of the former Lanzarote II desalination plant which will house the new plant, costing a further 12.80% of the total budget.
The proposed actions consist basically of the remodelling of existing facilities at the location of the previous plant Lanzarote II and dismantling elements of it, to install the new plant Lanzarote V.
