Integrated Annual Report 2020

Water solutions

WE TAKE CARE OF WATER
FOR A BETTER PLANET

ACCIONA designs infrastructures with the capacity to meet the main challenges related to water. We are committed to innovation, efficiency, quality and the use of the most advanced technologies. We treat, purify, reuse, desalinate and manage water for more than 100 million people in more than 30 countries.

Main financial figures FY19 (€m) FY20 (€m) % Var. 2020 vs 2019
Sales 758 976 28.8%
EBITDA 89 85 -4.7%
Margin (EBITDA/sales) 11.7% 8.7%

ACCIONA works to improve the competitiveness and performance of its designs, to ensure sustainable water management.

This objective is aligned with the 2030 Agenda and the applicable criteria of the European taxonomy for the sector, according to which drinking water treatment systems must have an energy consumption of less than 0.5 kWh per cubic meter, and purification a zero-net consumption.

Projects Solution Country Completion Amount (M€)
Boca del Río Integral management Mexico Underway 100
Nhieu Loc Thi Nghe Treatment Vietnam Underway 200
Shuqaiq 3 Desalination Saudi Arabia 2021 530
Shuqaiq 1 Desalination Saudi Arabia 2023 315
Sedapal service Water service Peru Underway 16
Tseung Kwan Desalination Hong Kong Underway 1,042

Integral water cycle

We participate in all stages of the integral water cycle, starting with water collection, continuing with the purification plant and the maintenance and control of the tanks and finally the management of the distribution networks and supply to the population. We also perform water analysis in our laboratories, ensuring quality for consumption.

We provide comprehensive water management services in more than 100 municipalities in Spain, Peru and Mexico, reaching 14 million inhabitants

Infografía agua

Currently, the desalination sector is the most competitive of our water business, thanks to pioneering treatment techniques and a comprehensive vision of the project life cycle. Somos is one of the few companies with a long history in the use of reverse osmosis technology for the desalination of seawater and brackish water.

This technique implies 6.5 times less carbon dioxide emissions in the Middle East and Africa than conventional desalination technologies.

Reverse osmosis involves 6.5 times less carbon dioxide emissions in the Middle East and Africa than conventional desalination technologies.

One in ten people on the planet lacks a reliable drinking water service. ACCIONA provides innovative solutions for problems associated with drinking water treatment. Based on research and experience, we ensure the quality of our initiatives against the most demanding standards in environments as different as Canada, Egypt and Australia

+ 8,6 million m3 /d capacity

+ 30 yearsof experience

+ than 41 millionpeople benefited per year

We use innovative treatments in the development of water purification projects and adapt them to different contexts:

  • Populations with different sizes
  • Urban domestic waters or with high industrial load
  • Populations with high seasonality
  • Plants located in small spaces
  • Wastewater treatment plants with high visual and/or environmental impact
  • Plants with different discharge levels

330 sewagetreatment plants

22,3 M m3/daycapacity

+ than 80 millionpeople benefited

Our investment in technological innovation in this area is focused on optimizing tertiary treatment processes and responding to the water demand for irrigation, recreational activities and aquifer recharge. For our own consumption, we have managed to increase the use of recycled, reused rainwater to 44% of all water projects.

Because of the circular economy, the company has created solutions for the reuse of waste from sewage treatment as fertilizer for agricultural activities. In 2020, it recovered 94% of the generated sludge.

Because of the circular economy, the company has created solutions for the reuse of waste from sewage treatment as fertilizer for agricultural activities. In 2020, it recovered 94% of the generated sludge.

Featured projects

Destacado 1

Shuqaiq 1

Saudi Arabia

ACCIONA has been awarded a 315 M€ contract to design and build the Shuqaiq 1 desalination plant on the Red Sea coast. The reverse osmosis plant will have an initial capacity of 400,000 m3 per day. It will help to strengthen the supply of drinking water and alleviate the water shortages faced by the inhabitants of south-western Saudi Arabia.

Destacado 2

New Cairo drinking water treatment plant

Egypt

The New Cairo plant's infrastructure captures water from the Nile River, transports it a distance of 40 km, and treats it at the plant. The pipes can carry up to 1 million m3 of drinking water/day and distribute, on average, 500,000 m3 daily to the local population.

Destacado 3

Atotonilco sewage treatment plant

Mexico

The Atotonilco plant (Mexico) treats wastewater from 12.6 million people, reusing it for agricultural and technified irrigation purposes. This is the largest wastewater treatment plant in Latin America and the third-largest in the world.

Destacado 4

La Escalerilla in Arequipa

Peru

The wastewater treatment plant in Arequipa treats water from the northern part of Peru. Treated water is reused for both human consumption and for farming. The solid waste resulting from the treatment process is converted into fertilizer for farming.

Destacado 5

Madrid services

Spain

ACCIONA manages municipal drinking water supply, sewer maintenance and wastewater treatment services in Madrid, Spain. The project serves 1,100,000 people using a network 1,147 km long.