A year after the tender process was opened, and three terms after its initial announcement, the countdown has officially begun for the complete overhaul of the Algorós wastewater treatment plant in Elche. A joint venture formed by three prominent firms, Drace Geocisa, Global Omnium, and Ciclagua, will carry out the contract. The winning bid stands at 72.9 million euro, representing a ten million euro discount on the initial maximum budget of 82.4 million euro. The contract stipulates an execution period of 36 months, followed by a six-month testing period. This represents the current regional administration’s largest single commitment to the municipality.
The long-awaited project originally dates back to the first Botànic regional government three terms ago. Following extensive administrative procedures and technical reviews, the contract is now fully secured. Other regional commitments announced for Elche, such as the proposed E-Tram tramway and a new healthcare facility at the General Hospital, each valued at around 30 million euro, currently remain at the proposal stage. Meanwhile, the completion of the South Ring Road remains in the design phase, with a revised budget of 35.8 million euro, meaning construction tendering is still at least a year away.
The bidding process concluded in late July, following a complex technical review of eleven competing bids. Offers were submitted by major firms in the sector, including Acciona Agua SA, as well as ten corporate alliances involving companies such as FCC, Dragados, Ferrovial, CHS, Eiffage Infraestructuras, and Grupo Bertolín. The winning joint venture combines environmental specialist Drace Geocisa, part of the ACS Group, with Valencian water management specialists Global Omnium and Ciclagua. A separate contract to supervise the works was awarded in March to a joint venture between Typsa and Inncive for 2.2 million euro. InCive originally designed the project in 2022, when it was initially conceived as a 50 million euro investment.
To accommodate the project, Elche Town Council modified its general urban planning scheme to redistribute land use, allowing the facility to integrate better into the landscape and feature surrounding leisure areas. The new infrastructure will be constructed over the existing facility in phases to maintain water treatment quality during the transition. The modernised plant will comply with strict European environmental regulations regarding nutrient removal, specifically nitrogen and phosphorus, alongside advanced tertiary treatment capabilities.
The modernised Algorós plant will maintain its processing capacity of 36,000 cubic metres per day, which comfortably exceeds current municipal demand of 24,000 cubic metres per day. Designed with cutting-edge technology to minimise odor and emissions, the facility will feature landscaped grounds with palm trees and a rooftop solar park. Road infrastructure surrounding the site will also be upgraded, with the access road connecting to the CV-851 widened from 12 to 18 metres to accommodate heavy vehicles safely. Furthermore, planning modification number 51 incorporates a subsoil protection protocol within a 200-metre buffer zone due to the proximity of archaeological sites, including the Roman Villa of Algorós and the Vizcarra II site.
Other Articles
Guardia Civil responds to Torrevieja Mayor’s demands
