Acciona consortium snaps up $2.8bn Brazil water project contract

Spanish infrastructure giant Acciona, in consortium with its Brazilian partner BRK, has been awarded a 35-year concession to provide treated water distribution and sewerage services across 151 municipalities in the state of Pernambuco in the South American nation.

The concession involves total investments of BRL15.4 billion ($2.8 billion) and aims to expand and modernise sanitation and water supply infrastructure, ensuring access to treated water as well as wastewater collection and treatment for approximately seven million residents, said Acciona in a statement. 

Under the agreement, the Acciona–BRK consortium will be responsible for water distribution and wastewater collection and treatment, while state-owned Companhia Pernambucana de Saneamento (Compesa) will continue to produce and sell treated water to the concessionaire. 

The contract also includes progressive targets for reducing water losses and mechanisms to address supply interruptions.

The initiative supports Pernambuco’s New Legal Framework for the Integral Water Cycle, which targets universal access to drinking water (99%) and sewerage services (90%) by 2033, it stated.

The Pernambuco concession marks Acciona’s third water and sanitation project in Brazil this year.

In January, the Spanish infrastructure major had signed a €324 million public-private partnership with Sanepar (Paraná Sanitation Company) to provide sanitary sewer services in 48 municipalities across Paraná state. 

The 24-year contract covers investment in sewer networks, pumping stations and wastewater treatment plants, along with their operation and maintenance.

Earlier, in October, the company secured a 23-year concession with Companhia Espírito Santense de Saneamento for urban sanitation services in eight municipalities in Espírito Santo state, involving planned investments of €85 million.-TradeArabia News Service