Lima desalination plant to start supplying the public

The 450mn-sol (US$115mn) Provisur desalination plant in Lima province will start supply shortly, the chairman of public water utility Sedapal, Francisco Dumler, told BNamericas.

The plant, already in operation, is Peru’s first desalination facility for public use and a 26-year public-private partnership. Concesionaria Desaladora del Sur, a subsidiary of Cobra Gestión de Infraestructuras, built the plant and will operate it, while Sedapal will manage the networks, Dumler said.

About 150,000 inhabitants in the southern localities of Punta Hermosa, Punta Negra, San Bartolo and Santa María del Mar will benefit.

Dumler added Provisur could reach up to 250,000 users during weekends in the summer. Residents previously relied on wells.

Sedapal aims to extend water services to the 1mn inhabitants of Lima that still do not have adequate access.

Desalination is increasing in Peru, especially in the mining industry.

Among others, a desalination plant is planned for Southern Peru Copper’s Tía María mine, which still does not have the social license and can’t move to the infrastructure construction phase.

A study by water security organization Aquafondo published last year found that water demand in Lima city will almost double by 2030 compared to 2018.