The Sustainable Water Platform (PAS) considers that, in light of recent statements by senior officials, who state that the real cost of the desalination plant that will be built in Albufeira will be almost double what was initially expected and it is not known who will pay the difference, it has been proven that this project “is not appropriate, given the high cost for the effects it achieves”.
In a note sent to newsrooms, the platform refers to statements by the president of AMAL – Algarve Intermunicipal Community, who told journalists that “more than 50 million are missing to 100% finance this crucial investment to increase the resilience of the public supply of water in the region”.
At issue is the fact that this is a work that, in theory, would be financed in full by the Recovery and Resilience Plan, but only a sum of 60 million euros intended for intervention is included in the document, when the two proposals for carrying out the work received are 106 and 108 million euros.
Therefore, there is not enough money foreseen in the PRR to cover the total cost of the work.
Even so, the construction of the desalination plant is not in question and both the Secretary of State for Planning and the Minister of the Environment stated that there will be a reassessment of the PRR, opening the door to a reallocation of funds that will allow the allocation allocated to this work to be increased – even though the minister left strong criticisms of the previous Government for not having provided the necessary funds, after having decided to increase the capacity of the desalination plant.
Ultimately, as António Pina said, Águas do Algarve will have to go into debt to guarantee the missing funds, with the “bill” to be paid by Algarve consumers, in future water bills.
PAS – which, based on the content of its statement, seems to see in these statements that the process of the future desalination plant is not appropriate, when that was not what was stated by the different people responsible – argues that, throughout this process, “a total lack of logic that exists in the management of public money».
«Any business plan requires an economic feasibility study. If the plan was approved assuming a certain cost and now the cost has doubled, it is clear that the plan cannot be implemented as it is no longer viable. This is the “bea-a-bá” for any company and should also be for the State that manages public money», says the platform.
PAS also accuses the president of AMAL of a "lack of logic" for defending the construction of a desalination plant, given the extreme drought we have experienced in recent years, but stating at the same time that the easing of restrictions on water consumption in the Algarve it was a balanced decision.
«After all, do we need water or not? Or do we just need it to justify building the desalination plant? In PAS's opinion, AMAL cannot have double standards for the same problem, defending the relief of restrictions on water consumption while claiming the need to build the desalination plant, as well as new storage infrastructures such as the Dam da Foupana", he says.
Increasing the availability of water through the exploration of new sources, such as the construction of Desalination Plants, the capture of water in Pomarão to reinforce the Odeleite dam and the construction of the Foupana dam, «may seem like the perfect solution to the problem of drought and water scarcity”, but “increased water availability leads to increased consumption and increased damage to ecosystems, which depend on the availability of fresh water”.
«Spain has the largest storage in dams per capita in Europe, transfers between several river basins, and 765 desalination plants in operation, but faces much more serious water scarcity problems than Portugal», he recalls.
«These are some of the reasons why PAS has been vehemently opposing this type of “solutions”. Therefore, PAS welcomes the launch of the new notice, worth 6,6 million euros, to support investments within the scope of the measure “Measure SM1 – Reducing Water Losses in the Urban Sector”, with financing from the Recovery Program and Resilience (PRR). The reduction of losses in distribution networks in the urban and agricultural sectors, along with the reuse of wastewater are some of several other paths that PAS has, from the beginning, been defending as a solution to the problem, without creating new social problems, economic and environmental”, concludes the platform.
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