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DuPont Water Solutions is committed to serving customers with world-class quality products, offering excellent durability, which help reduce the operating costs of desalination plants. In Spain, the Torrevieja and Águilas desalination plants have operated membranes without replacement for over 10 years. With more than one million membranes installed worldwide, these are only two examples of the longevity of our membranes. Check more case studies on our website.
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projects, equating to a whopping investment sum of €36.3 billion, the company is wellequipped to keep on growing. In 2023 alone, the company achieved an impressive net profit of €153 million, and this year is expected to produce similar results with several major developments in the works.
The water branch, Sacyr water, has been involved with countless lifechanging projects, including some of the world’s largest desalination plants, from the Southern Seawater desalination plant in Australia to Ashdod in Israel and Sohar in Oman.
“We currently operate the two largest desalination plants in Europe (Torrevieja and Aguilas),” commented Dr Zarzo Martinez. “Our projects provide added value to the communities within which they operate, from complex desalination projects to advanced water reuse. And we remain committed to this vital infrastructure for the long term, carrying out daily operations and maintenance for upwards of 25 years. We even go as far as to establish new companies in the countries where we are managing these contract types.”
The company has a very solid presence globally. Once a new long-term project goes live, Sacyr establishes a local office to oversee the entire operation. When it comes to the having the highest number of projects and locally based Sacyr facilities, its home country of Spain as well as Chile are both strong contenders for first place.
Ongoing success
Currently, Sacyr has several major projects in the works, some of which have opened new doors for the infrastructure expert.
“We left the Middle Eastern market some years ago because it was oversaturated and very competitive,” explained Dr Zarzo Martinez. “At the time, it was not economically feasible for us to remain there. However, we are now ready to re-enter the market, by taking on specific projects with acceptable
Sacyr Desalination plant Aguilas Spain
Sacyr Desalination membranes recycling R&D project
risk. We are mainly targeting Saudi Arabia because it’s a main contractor of desalination plants.”
Off the back of this success, Sacyr has also made progress in Australia, where it has prequalified for two large desalination projects.
“We have just been shortlisted for two major projects in Australia, which means we are down to the last three-to-five companies competing for the tender,” explained Dr Zarzo Martinez. “If successful, these tenders will join a long list of contracts that we currently operate all over the world.”
When it comes to water desalination, Sacyr successfully supplies 9.5 million residents in Spain, Chile, Australia, Oman and Algeria, making it one of the top ten largest desalination companies in the world.
Blue is the new green
With water being such a prominent element of the Sacyr brand, it should come as no surprise that the company is one of the first large corporations of its kind to independently measure its water footprint and gain ISO certification.
Domingo Zarzo Martinez
“We measure our water footprint – both direct and indirect – in all countries where we operate and for all our activities,” revealed Dr Zarzo Martinez. “We can proudly say that we are a Water Positive company, thanks to our activities in desalination and reuse, which means we produce more water than we consume.”
The term Water Positive is one that emerged from the industry itself as it sought out a solution similar to Carbon Negative that could be applied to the footprint of its main activity. As part of the initiative, the Water Positive Think Tank Framework was developed to present a how-to for companies looking to improve their footprint. This includes a credit system similar to that of carbon credits.
Everyone at Sacyr is incredibly proud of its efforts to become Water Positive, and now, the company intends to take it even further having implemented several fixed objectives for the reduction of its water footprint and gained its ISO 14046 certification.
This is just one of the many ways that Sacyr has improved its environmental impact. Since 2015, the company has been a part of the FTSE4Good sustainability index and regularly produces energy with saline gradients, recycles membranes, and produces desalination plants that are run by certified renewable energy.
In recognition of Sacyr’s hard work, its water division was awarded the Sustainability Award by the Spanish Desalination and Reuse Association in 2023.
Sacyr wastewater treatment plant Guadalajara, Spain
Domingo Zarzo Martinez
Sacyr
Future objectives
As Sacyr continues on this path of sustainable development, the company has implemented a brand-new strategic plan that covers the next three years. The 2024-2027 plan is expected to facilitate the company’s 2033 goal of tripling its asset valuation.
“Our new short-term strategic plan is focused on three main pillars: the advancement of our P3 activities, the implementation of a new shareholder remuneration policy and the addition of investment grade ratings,” said Dr Zarzo Martinez.
In line with these commitments, Sacyr intends to invest €1 billion into P3 project development during the three-year period, which will take its total investment to a whopping €2.6 billion. By 2027, it is also expected that Sacyr will reach a net profit of €265 million (a magnificent 73% increase compared to last year’s results).
The company is pulling out all the stops to make sure its ambitions become a reality, including establishing a brand-new company in order to welcome a new minority stakeholder into the fold and drive further growth.
“By 2027, we anticipate that 95 per cent of Sacyr’s EBITDA will come from its P3 assets,” explained Dr Zarzo Martinez, in conclusion.
“These are a crucial element of the company and will continue to be so going forward. We are a company built on innovation, creativity and flexibility, with an amazing team that is fully engaged with our values and goals. It is their help that will ensure we achieve our strategic objectives and continue to have a positive impact on the world.” n
Sacyr Foundation environmental protection works
Sacyr Submarine drone (ROV) for seawater environmental monitoring
