dp2009 desalination barcelona en[1]

PRESS KIT –Barcelona Plant - PAGE 1/22 CONTACT: B. MARILHET I [email protected]

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PRESS KIT Barcelona desalination plant,

A case study on water technologies in Spain September 2009

PRESS CONTACT Béatrice Marilhet - +33 1 46 25 63 68 – [email protected]


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CONTENTS

1. Spain, a national water management plan p 03 2. Ongoing innovation in technical desalination solutions p 06 3. The Barcelona desalination plant, the largest in Europe p 10

APPENDICES:

• Main references in desalination p 17

• Degrémont in Spain p 18

• SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT in Spain p 20


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1. SPAIN, A NATIONAL WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN

Reserves of fresh water represent only 2.5% of the earth's water and only 1 millionth

(0.001%) of global resources is useable. And this millionth is not evenly distributed.

Today, a third of our planet's land is arid or semi-arid, suffering from either a lack of seasonal

rainfall or chronic water shortages and this situation is worsened by the effect of global

warming. Some countries are experiencing increasingly long periods of drought, so that

surface water is not adequately renewed. By 2050, 40% of the world's population will live

in countries experiencing severe water stress (GWI Sources).

Water management: desalination of seawater or brackish water and re-use of treated waste

water are currently high priorities for government authorities. Water treatment business

areas are evolving to adapt to global change and local needs.

SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT and its subsidiaries - such as Degrémont - support countries,

states or local government authorities, by offering solutions to protect their water resources

and develop a sustainable development policy. The Group is able to offer cutting edge

alternative technologies, for example: reverse osmosis desalination and re-use of treated

waste water, through ultrafiltration and disinfection processes.


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Spain leads the way in alternative technologies for water resources

In Spain, 35% of the population is currently suffering from water shortage, a

scarcity that will increase significantly over the coming years (Sources: Water Market Europe

- 2008). The country is facing a national dilemma as regards water resources management.

It has been a pioneer in Europe in terms of seawater desalination technology, and has

also implemented schemes for waste water re-use and replenishment water resources.

In the Nineties, Spain was the 2nd country in the world (after the USA) to employ desalination

techniques. Over a twenty year period, its capacity for producing desalinated water

increased from 92,670 m3/day in 1990 to 329,620 m3/day in 2008 (Sources:

DesalData, GWI).

Driven by a political, public and regulatory resolve, national schemes were launched to

address these issues, in a country with an annual GDP growth rate of 3.9% (2006 figures),

and where the population is increasing by 0.1% each year (2007 figures).

At the end of 2008, the Spanish Environment Ministry expressed its wish to continue its

commitment over the coming years, after one of the worst periods of drought it had known

since 1940. By 2015, the country wants to triple the quantity of re-useable water

produced from 1.2million m3/day to 4.1million m3/day.

Emergency measures to supply Catalonia with drinking water in 2008

Water is a crucial issue for human consumption, agriculture and industry. After a series of

years marked by drought (1999, 2002 and 2005), Catalonia saw a very significant fall in its

water reserves, culminating in an alert scenario in February 2008: there remained only

20.5% of water reserves to supply the region's 4.5 million inhabitants. The Spanish

and Catalan governments took drastic measures to fill the reservoirs and provide drinking

water for the population of Barcelona.

As well as restrictions on using water to fill swimming pools and for watering, the emergency

measures consisted in particular of bringing in water reserves from Tarragona and

Marseille by boat. Tankers made frequent trips over a 3 month period, and over

2 million m3 of water was brought to the Llobegrat reservoirs, up to 6% of the consumption

of the 4.5 million inhabitants.


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Investment from which solutions evolved

The 2008 crisis and its impact on the environment and civil communities raised awareness

about the importance of resource management. Water consumption was reduced through

restriction, work on the networks (non revenue water) and a common raised awareness of

the importance of this precious resource.

Over some years, the Provinces and the Government have invested in research and

development projects, focusing mainly on wastewater, re-use of treated wastewater, and

desalination. From 2006, the Spanish Ministry for Industry launched research projects

worth over 400 million euros, with around 50% government funding.

One of the largest is the CENIT programme (Consortios Estrategicos Nacionales de

Investigacion Tecnica). In this national call for tender, 15 companies were selected to take

part in around fifteen projects. The Sostaqua project ("Ciclo del agua urbano

autosostenible") forms part of these 15 projects amounting 24 million euros, over a

4 year period. Launched in 2007 in Barcelona, it incorporates 16 partners (universities,

water authorities and companies), including Aguas de Barcelona (AGBAR) as project

coordinator and Degrémont, which contributes in financially and technically.

These strategic programmes are real poles of expertise, in a region where rainfall is

unpredictable, the objective being to find sustainable solutions, and calling on the Group's

expertise in desalination and re-use. Surface water sources are becoming depleted and

river flows are irregular, further reasons why local authorities have turned to the sea.


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2. ONGOING INNOVATION IN TECHNICAL

DESALINATION SOLUTIONS

Water treatment experts constantly innovate in order to offer technologically sustainable

solutions, striving for impeccable environmental and health quality, and responding to local

initiatives. This trend is really gathering speed and is energising an increasingly "green"

market.

So, in order to satisfy the growing demand for water and given the scarcity of the resource,

the best solutions lie in seawater desalination and re-use of treated wastewater, both

techniques requiring specific know-how in which Degrémont, a subsidiary of SUEZ

ENVIRONNEMENT, is a master.

Seawater desalination: advances in global plant operation optimisation

There are two techniques for removing salt from seawater: thermal distillation and

membrane technology, the most widely used today. Furthermore, this solution reduces

energy needed compared with thermal distillation processes.

Distillation involves evaporation and condensation and guarantees a final salinity level of

less than 10mg/litre. Reverse osmosis is a membrane separation process which removes

over 99% of the salt present in seawater. The choice of process depends on water uses

(domestic water or water for industrial or agricultural use), quality of the raw water,

environmental impacts and investment and operating costs.

Seawater desalination represents 1% of the production of drinking water used on our planet.

It is an alternative that has already been implemented for over 200 million world inhabitants

offering a water supply accessible to over 2.4 billion (39%) people living less than 100 km

from a coast.

Degrémont is recognised as a pioneer of desalination using reverse osmosis

technology, since its first installation on the Ile de Houat in France in 1972. The company

has since developed and integrated complementary technologies to produce a sustainable

solution.


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Degrémont’s tailor-made is based on acquired knowledge, expertly managed treatment trains

and improving plants' overall performances and technological optimisation to ensure

predicted reliability of operations upstream of purification. The development of specific

processes for treating the washing water before discharge has also improved protection of

the coastline and the ecosystem.


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A centre of competence and local partnership, the CENIT project1

The Sostaqua project was launched by local government authorities and the partners

(including AGBAR and Degrémont) to find sustainable solutions and develop processes

for managing urban water. Synergies between private companies, local government

bodies and scientific communities were created, and real poles of expertise arose. The

technological advances made were therefore the fruit of partnerships and research into

desalination and re-use

In Barcelona prototypes were installed aiming to develop osmosis pre-treatment systems,

eliminate organic matter and optimise disposal of the concentrated salts residue or "brines"2,

in order to:

1. track and eliminate soluble organic matter, mainly responsible for "bio-fouling",

or clogging of reverse osmosis membranes by an accumulation of bacterial bio-film

(biologically treated seawater and waste water);

2. evaluate variations in seawater quality over the long term in order to optimise

dimensioning of the desalination plant.

Dispersion of brine waste, a priority in terms of preserving biodiversity

The Degrémont solution developed in the direction of better performing systems reducing

the impact on the environment and marine ecosystems. The discharge location is also a

determining factor in optimising dispersion (for example, in a strong current), and also

avoidance of sensitive biological zones.

To prevent any disturbance owing to excessively high salts content, the brines are discharged

through a system of diffusers, diluting the salinity to achieve rapidly concentrations similar to

the natural environment. The dilution target generally sought is a concentration 1% lower

than the natural salinity of the aquatic environment.

In addition, the discharge water should have a temperature similar to the environment. In

this respect the reverse osmosis is favourable compared with a thermal process, where

discharge flow rates and temperature are higher.

1 Consortios Estrategicos Nacionales de Investigacion Tecnica

2 Phase concentrated in mineral salts and organic matters


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Efficiency and green energy sources

Reverse osmosis technology has also the advantage of being less energy-consuming than

thermal desalination processes. Innovations have led to improved energy efficiency in plants.

Energy costs are 5 times less than they were 30 years ago, and the cost of membranes 10

times less. Lastly, developments in pretreatment considerably improve system performance.

Optimised energy consumption means fewer CO2 emissions. Degrémont automatically

integrates an energy recovery process into its solutions (using turbines or pressure

exchangers), and, owing to improved performance of motors and frequency variation

systems, exactly the right amount of energy is supplied to the membranes.

In addition, energy needs can be met from renewal energy sources, such as wind power,

wave and tidal power and solar power.


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3. THE BARCELONA DESALINATION PLANT, THE

LARGEST IN EUROPE

The Barcelona desalination plant project was originally part of the Spanish National

Hydrological Plan and the Catalan authorities' strategic plan, including construction of a

number of desalination plants. The project goals were to ensure a reliable source of water for

the region, preserve surface water and improve water quality in an area where the rivers are

subject to pollution.

In 2005, the Catalan Government delegated the project to its water authority: Aguas del Ter

Llobregat (ATLL), a public utility attached to the Department of Environment and Habitat of

the Catalan Government. Formed in 1990, ATLL manages drinking water resources for over

100 municipalities in the region, or more than 4.5 million inhabitants. It currently operates

the Abrera plant (the river Llobregat) and the Cardedeu plant (the river Ter), built by

Degrémont in 1960.

In 2007, ATLL contracted Degrémont and AGBAR, subsidiaries of SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT, to

carry out the design, construction and then operation over 2 years of the first reverse

osmosis seawater desalination plant in the country.

Inaugurated on 20 July 2009, the plant supplies about 20% of the population of the

Barcelona region with drinking water ( 1.3 million inhabitants). It is the largest plant of its

kind ever built in Europe with a drinking water production capacity of 200,000m3/day.

Preserving biodiversity from the water intake stage

The plant is located right next to Barcelona's commercial port, which covers 8 km of coastline

and is still growing. Hundreds of ships enter the port every day, representing a risk of water

pollution by fuel and associated maritime operations. Therefore the intake zone had to be at

some distance from the congested areas in order to collect the cleanest possible water.

The pilot installed close to the plant enabled seawater quality to be assessed and qualified

at intake and discharge points. Over a year, technicians and experts monitored seawater

quality to determine the most suitable location for the intake location.


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Two inlet towers, each 12 metres high and 5 metres in diameter, were built underwater at

2.2 kilometres from the coast. They can collect up to 450,000 m3 of seawater a day,

which is more than twice the drinking water production (200,000 m3/day).

Note: with 100 litres of seawater, the reverse osmosis system can

produce 45 litres of drinking water.

The intake zone is relatively deep, at 25 metres, so limiting intake of fish and other

organisms in the aquatic environment, which are often more plentiful in sunlit areas.

Pumping speed is kept to a minimum to avoid affecting the currents and to protect marine life

against being sucked in. Bathymetric3 and current studies were conducted beforehand to

evaluate and confirm the processes selected and minimise the environmental impact. The

catch-water is then routed using gravity methods in order to minimise energy consumption

from the pumping stage.

3 Bathymetry - Measure of the depth of sea bed


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A special feature of the plant, triple pretreatment

Pretreatment is a key stage in reverse osmosis desalination, since it significantly affects the

performance of the membrane systems. In this first stage, the water is clarified, then

filtered. At the Barcelona desalination plant, a triple filtration system was designed to

eliminate any impurities. It removes algae, plankton, suspended solids, pathogens and

macromolecules.

The seawater is preliminary clarified through flotation. Firstly the suspended solids, algae and

a part of organic matters, are coagulated. The floc formed is subjected to micro-bubbles,

then separated from the water by gravity. The clarification residue is then collected at the

surface of the float via an overflow. Flotation is carried out on the Seadaf, the main

advantage of which is a reduced surface area, obtained by optimising the hydraulics

system.

Once clarified, the water is then filtered through 20 filters of Mediazur GH type, which

are "dual media" filters using anthracite and sand in a single system. The water is pressurised

before being fed into a second "dual media" filter stage, with Seaclean filters. Each

pressure filter can treat a flow rate of 900 m3/h. The filters use very fine filtration materials,

providing refined filtration before feeding into the 18 x 5 µm safety cartridge filters.

The pre-treated seawater can then be fed to the reverse osmosis membranes.

SeacleanTM SeadafTM


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Reverse osmosis, an ultra efficient process

Reverse osmosis is a process based on filtering water through a semi-permeable

membrane, allowing water to pass through while retaining most of the dissolved

salts. In the Barcelona plant, and in order to reach the quality targets relating to salinity and

boron content, the process is based on a partial dual pass method.

10 reverse osmosis racks are fitted with "seawater" membranes and the pre-treated

water is fed to them: the water is pressurised at around 60 bar before entering the

membranes. Each rack has a production capacity of 23,100 m3/day. The seawater

membranes are laid out in a hybrid system (2 types of membrane in a serial arrangement) to

optimise energy consumption while at the same time maximising water production. The

conversion efficiency of the system is 45% (for 1 litre of pumped water, 0.45 litre of

treated water is produced).

To keep the boron content below the 1 mg/litre limit (European regulation), a second pass is

made through the reverse osmosis racks. This time the racks are fitted with "brackish water"

membranes. The system operates at a conversion efficiency of 85% (this time for 1 litre

of pumped water, 0.85 litre of water is produced).

The membranes, operating principle The water passes inside a membrane and exits through millions of holes 1,000 times smaller than the pores in human skin. The impurities or pollutions – solid and chemical matter - are thus trapped inside the membrane. Membranes are cleaned regularly to ensure high quality treatment.


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Energy recovery linked to osmosis

Developments in desalination plants have had spectacular results in terms of energy savings.

The Barcelona plant is equipped with pressure exchangers linked to the osmosis system,

which to recover and save 50% on energy consumption. It consumes 3Kw/m3: by

comparison, energy consumption was 15 to 20kw/m3 in the Eighties.

The pressure exchangers are installed after the reverse osmosis membranes, which allow

high pressure to separate the water in the membranes. The pressure is 71kg/cm2 (equivalent

to a waterfall 710 metres high). Despite a partial pressure loss during osmosis, the

exchangers use the residual water pressure to propel the seawater not yet treated.

Post-treatment, for high quality drinking water

The last phase of making the water drinkable essentially comprises two treatment

stages:

• a remineralisation stage

• a disinfection stage

The purpose of remineralising water is to reduce the corrosive character of the

water produced, and therefore to protect the water distribution networks. On the Barcelona

plant remineralisation is carried out using limestone filters. The water, with CO2 added

beforehand, percolates in upflow through a limestone bed. The bed gradually dissolves, so

remineralising the water and restoring its balance.

Disinfection is carried out using chlorine dioxide. This compound disinfects the water

produced and this effect is retained in the distribution network to preventing any re-

contamination when the water is distributed to the consumer.

The tap water is now taste and odour free and all polluting elements removed. The resulting

filtered water is of very high quality for human consumption.


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Special attention to the sludge treatment and "brines"

Brine, an optimised mixture

The brine is diluted in a ratio of 1 to 1 with urban waste water that has

already been treated and is discharged 3.5 km away in the sea, using the

existing outfall. This not only minimises impact on the environment at the discharge

point, but also avoids the need to construct a special discharge point.

When the water leaves the plant, it is mixed directly with treated water

from the urban waste water treatment plant which adjoins the plant. Mixing

these two types of water balances the salts content: the salinity of the Mediterranean

Sea varies between 36 and 38 grammes per litre.

With this project, Degrémont's expertise and prior research enabled a proactive

management approach to be adopted, identifying the risks and avoiding

environmental impacts.

Sludge treatment

The objective is to employ dewatering to reduce the volume of sludge produced

throughout the treatment stages. Sludge treatment removes the water in the sludge as far as

possible.

Sludge from the Seadaf and the filter washing water (or "backwashing" water) is mixed

together, then thickened using Densadeg, a technology developed by Degrémont, then

dewatered by centrifuge.

Its volume thereby reduced to 22% dryness by this new unit, the sludge can

be stored in the plant and then disposed of. The dewatering phase substantially

reduces the volume of sludge to be disposed of, so minimising greenhouse gas

emissions generated by transporting materials.


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APPENDICES


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MAIN REFERENCES IN SEAWATER DESALINATION

KEY FIGURES

To date, Degrémont has installed 250 desalination plants, producing over 1.9 million m3

per day, making it a market leader in reverse osmosis. It has undertaken large contracts for

plants in Majorca such as Bahía de Palma producing 65,000m3/day and Son Tugores with

40,000m3/day, as well as Carboneras in Andalucia, 120,000m3/day, and El Atabal in Malaga,

165,000m3/day of brackish water. In the Dutch Antilles, in Curaçao, Degrémont constructed a

plant to replace the island's thermal stills.

RECENT EXAMPLES

• Australia, Melbourne: SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT, through its subsidiary Degrémont,

and in a consortium with local partners, has just won the contract to design, build and

operate a seawater desalination plant for the city of Melbourne. With a capacity of

440,000m3/day, it will serve 1/3 of the city's population.

• Australia, Perth: This plant, representing an investment of 300 million Australian

dollars for the Water Corporation in the State of Western Australia, was designed and

constructed in 2006 in a joint venture between Degrémont, Multiplex, and Water

Corporation. This was a key government initiative intended to provide 17% of Perth's

drinking water. This very large project comprised building a reverse osmosis

desalination plant over 18 months. The plant yields 144,000m3/day.

• United Arab Emirates, Fujairah: Fujairah innovated in 2001 with a combination of

two technologies used in seawater desalination: reverse osmosis and thermal

desalination by distillation. Producing 170,000m3/day, the plant provides 1 million

people with drinking water.

• Sultanate of Oman, Barka: The contract for this project was awarded in 2006, in

collaboration with GDF-SUEZ Energy International, and involved linking a thermal

plant to a seawater desalination plant with a production capacity of 120,000m3/day.

Discharge into the sea is minimised as it is diluted with the general cooling water. The

partnership resulted in overall optimal design of both the thermal and desalination

plants.


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DEGREMONT, 70 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE: 4 BUSINESSES, 5 AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Degrémont, a subsidiary of SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT, has specialised in water treatment

for 70 years (1939-2009) and is a key player in terms of sustainable development for its

customers, municipalities and industry.

In 2008, Degrémont achieved sales of over 1 billion euros. 4,600 employees in 70 countries

design and build turnkey solutions in terms of drinking water and desalination plants, water

treatment and water recycling plants, and sludge treatment plants, integrating all phases

from civil engineering to commissioning, and sometimes operation.

Degrémont Technologies Division completes the offer by supplying equipment such as:

Aquasource ultrafiltration membranes, Innoplana sludge drying solutions, Ozonia UV or ozone

disinfection systems, Infilco Degrémont thermal oxidation, supplies of compact units, etc.

DEGREMONT IN SPAIN

Degrémont has had a presence in Spain since 1954 through its subsidiary established in

Bilbao. It employs over 300 people and about 40% of turnover corresponds to the building of

water production plants in Spain, 20% to the sale of services and operation and 40% to

international contracts, mainly in the desalination sector.

Degrémont Spain designs, constructs and operates, in Spain and internationally, drinking

water production plants, water treatment plants, sludge treatment units and seawater

desalination plants.

Over the last twenty years, the Spanish subsidiary has been involved in building and

commissioning numerous installations, particularly in the Mediterranean Basin, (Spain,

Algeria and Egypt), but also in the Persian Gulf, Latin America (Chile, Mexico) and the

Caribbean.


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Degrémont, is:

4 businesses:

• Design – Construction

• Operation and Services

• Equipment

• BOT (Build, Operate,

Transfer)

5 areas of expertise:

• Drinking water production

• Desalination

• Urban waste water treatment and recycling

(re-use)

• Sludge treatment

• Industrial water treatment and production

Key Figures

4,600 employees

Sales 2008: 1,014 million euros

Over 10,000 sites equipped with Degrémont technology throughout the world

3,000 drinking water production plants

2,500 treatment plants built

250 desalination plants built to date

2.4 million m3/day of recycled waste water

1.9 million m3/day of water produced through reverse osmosis


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SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT IN SPAIN

SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT is present in Spain principally through Aguas de Barcelona

(AGBAR) and Degrémont.

Historically an AGBAR shareholder, SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT currently has a 66.44% stake in

AGBAR via Hisusa, 1.82% via SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT España, and 10.2% via the Group.

Since October 2007, SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT has owned 33% of Aguas de Valencia.

In 2008, Spain accounted for 12.1% of SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT’s revenue (thanks mainly to

AGBAR’s contribution). Spain is the Group’s second-largest market next to France and one of

the most attractive markets in Europe due to its size and maturity level.

AGUAS DE BARCELONA

Aguas de Barcelona (AGBAR) is the leading private operator for water and sanitation in

Spain. In water, in 2007 the Group’s companies provided drinking water to over 12 million

people via 223 production sites (including Barcelona, Murcia and Alicante). In sanitation, over

10 million people were serviced by 406 sewage treatment plants.

AGBAR’s revenue in Spain from its water operations (drinking water, sanitation,

desalination, environment, etc) was 1.3 billion euros in 2008. AGBAR has two main

operating sectors: water-related services and health-related services, which represent 57%

and 43% of its 2008 revenue, respectively.

AGBAR’s water operations cover three main segments, namely: water purification and

desalination, environmental infrastructure, and environmental technology. These activities

encompass all environmental protection issues: environmental management (laboratories),

consultancy, 'turnkey' engineering, the operation of these facilities, and the management of

their waste.

Cetaqua is the water technology centre founded by AGBAR in association with UPC-

Barcelona Tech and the Superior Council of Scientific Research of Spain. The purpose of this

centre is to contribute to research, innovation and development in water technologies,

particularly in the urban cycle, by developing synergies between business, research and

teaching sectors. The Centre’s 2008 budget was 4.9 million euros.

AGUAS DE VALENCIA

Aguas de Valencia is a water supplier to over three million inhabitants in the Valencia

region with revenue of 196 million and long-term contracts including a 50-year contract with

the City of Valencia.


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DEGREMONT

Degrémont España, created in 1954, is the oldest water treatment company in the country

and is one of the biggest in the sector. Thanks to its experience in all aspects of water

treatment, in recent years it has become a leader in reverse-osmosis desalination in both

national and international markets. Its experience in Spain has enabled Degrémont to win its

biggest contracts in this field worldwide.

Thus, the Carboneras plants near Almeria (120,000 m3/day) and Fujairah in the United Arab

Emirates (175,000 m3/day) are among the largest seawater desalination plants in the world,

as well as El Atabal in Malaga (165,000 m3/day) which is the largest brackish-water

treatment plant in the world.

Degrémont España has also contributed to many other desalination operations including

Bahia de Palma (68,000 m3/day), San Pedro del Pinatar II (65,000 m3/day), Minera

Escondida (Chile – 45,000 m3/day) and Son Tugores (43,000 m3/day), as well as plants

under construction such as Barcelona (200,000 m3/day) and Marina Baja (50,000 m3/day).

In drinking water, wastewater and sludge treatment, Degrémont España has over 300

projects among the country’s largest cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Valencia,

Bilbao, Saragossa, Palma de Mallorca, Vitoria, La Corogne, Malaga, Saint Sebastien, Burgos

and Valladolid.

Degrémont España has also developed a large export business. With contracts in China,

Uzbekistan, Egypt, Chile, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Mexico, the West Indies,

Algeria, etc, it is a major Spanish exporter in this sector.

Some of these projects are conducted in association with other Group companies, particularly

energy companies.

ONDEO INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS

Ondeo Industrial Solutions España is a major player in the Spanish industrial water

treatment market (process, effluents, reuse). Its business includes engineering through

designing and building water treatment plants, and services through audits, and technical

and operating support for water treatment plants.

Ondeo IS España is present principally in the markets of energy generation, agri-foodstuffs, the

petrochemicals industry, and paper production as evidenced in projects recently carried out in this

sector in Portugal.


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Within SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT, Degrémont is the water treatment plant specialist. Present in over 70 countries and employing approximately 4,600 staff, Degrémont achieved sales of 1,014 million euros in 2008.

SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT Natural resources are not in infinite supply. SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT (Paris: SEV, Brussels: SEVB), and its subsidiaries are committed on a day to day basis to meeting the challenge of protection of resources and offering innovative solutions to millions of people and to industry worldwide. SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT supplies 76 million people with drinking water, 44 million with waste management services and collects waste from 60 million people. With 65,400 employees, SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT is a world leader exclusively dedicated to environmental services and with a presence in all five continents. In 2008, SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT, a 35%-owned subsidiary of GDF SUEZ, achieved sales of 12.4 billion euros.

dp2009 desalination barcelona en[1]

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