ACCIONA to build and operate two potable water treatment plants in Panama worth 300 million euros

ACCIONA, through its Water and Construction divisions, has been awarded two contracts to design, build, operate and maintain two potable water plants: the Ingeniero José G. Rodríguez plant, in the Arraiján district, and the Sabanitas II plant, in Colón, capital of the province of the same name and one of Panama's largest cities. The two contracts combined are worth 319 million balboas, i.e. approximately 300 million euros, and will serve close to 500,000 people, one-eighth of Panama's population.

The two plants, commissioned by Panama's Instituto de Acueductos y Alcantarillados Nacionales (IDAAN), will contribute to enhancing the supply of drinking water to the country's urban dwellers, which is one of the main goals of the "Water for All" National Water Security Plan 2015-2020 implemented by the Panamanian government. The plan envisages building and/or expanding potable water plants, rural water mains and wells so as to cover 98% of the drinking water supply to cities and 70% of the supply to rural and indigenous areas by 2020.

The Ingeniero José G. Rodríguez plant will produce 150,000 m³ of drinking water per day initially, although it is designed to be expanded in the future to 227,000 m³. The new system will take water from the Panama Canal and will benefit 283,000 residents of the Arraiján district, in West Panama province, one of the most populous districts in the country.

The Sabanitas II plant will provide 114,000 m³ of water per day to the residents of such towns as Sabanitas, Puerto Limón and Cativá, benefiting 150,000 people, and is also designed to be expanded to a capacity of over 261,000.

In addition to the latest technology in water capture and distribution of treated water, the plants will have control buildings, laboratories, workshops and warehouses.

ACCIONA Group already operates in the water business in Panama, where it is currently expanding and upgrading the Villa Darién potable water treatment plant; ACCIONA Construction has been operating in Panama since 2013, when it was awarded the contract to build the Dr. Rafael Hernandez Hospital in the David district.

A consortium headed by ACCIONA was recently awarded the contract to widen and upgrade the section of the Pan-American Highway between the Bridge of the Americas and Arraiján, which links the western side of the Panama Canal with the outskirts of Panama City. This is one of the principal road projects being undertaken by the Panamanian government to enhance communications between the country's main cities, and it has a budget of 335 million balboas, approximately 310 million euros.