The Tagus-Segura transfer, already stretched by shifting climate patterns and overused aquifers, has been cited as a catalyst for major initiatives in the Levantine basin. Europe’s largest sea water desalination project was proposed for Escombreras Valley, Cartagena, aiming for an annual output of 600 thousand cubic meters. A new reservoir in Jumilla and plans to interconnect water resources across the Region of Murcia were highlighted among expected outcomes, with forecasts suggesting Segura might need around 1,500 hm3 each year in the near term.
Vols Partners, the developer, began this expansive undertaking and embarked on a lengthy process with public administrations. The project’s stated purpose was to bolster water security in the Community of the Murcia Region, addressing both current vulnerabilities and near-future needs in the Segura basin region.
The firm argued that predictable shortages would push demand higher over time. It asserted that climate change would impact the basin’s water supply and that the desalination capacity could double the amount brought in within a year through the transfer plan.
At the core of the venture is a Cartagena businessman, Jose David Moreno, whose proposal awaited public consultation under the Ministry of Ecological Transition before a formal environmental impact assessment. The plan envisions a reverse osmosis desalination facility producing about 1.6 million cubic meters per day, with the brine byproduct reaching roughly 978 hm3 per year and discharged into the Mediterranean.
Escombreras valley in Cartagena serves as the site for the proposed desalination plant, a project image captured by local media. Photographer Ivan Urquizar documented the location and its proximity to the Escombreras basin.
The organizer reportedly signed agreements with several irrigation communities to supply the desalinated water at around 10,000 TL 0.55 per cubic meter, according to La Opinión de Murcia from the Prensa Ibérica group. The plant would produce seven times more desalinated water than Torrevieja, currently the largest in the Eastern Mediterranean at about 80 hm3 per year. The planned investment was estimated to exceed 2,000 million euros.
third major dam
Before advancing, the company submitted a preliminary document to the General Directorate of Community Water outlining water needs for specific agricultural areas within the Segura basin and noting the possibility of distributing resources to water users in Alicante and Almería.
The general management responded that the proposal should be limited to a single autonomous region and withdrew the idea of announcing a public interest project that could accelerate the process. It clarified that a privately initiated effort could not declare general interest, and that a desalination plant affecting multiple autonomous communities could not be permitted under the Water Law, which assigns such authority to the state. The request was advised to stay within the scope of one autonomous community.
The document thus set aside the Cenajo reservoir idea as a desalination tank. After evaluating alternatives, the plan proposed a new reservoir on the Rambla de la Raja in Jumilla, above the Judío dam and north of the Sierra de la Pila. The structure would rise about 80 meters above canal levels and hold roughly 230 hm3, larger than the Fuensanta reservoir in Alicante and nearly as large as La Pedrera, making it the third largest in the Segura system. The organizer has engaged with the Segura Hydrographic Confederation, which would process most of the project to ensure compliance with legal requirements.
The organizers insist that the plan would prevent desalinated water from mixing with continental water, addressing perceived inequality and preserving water quality. The Confederación Hidrográfica del Segura noted last year that this project may not be applicable in its current form.
230 kilometers of canals and pipelines
The mega desalination plant would connect with infrastructures such as pipelines to the projected reservoir and channels through Lorca, Cartagena, and Alicante after the transfer. The layout includes up to 230 kilometers of main transfer channels, three drives for the water system, booster substations, high voltage lines, and two main discharge conduits crossing the Sierra de la Fausilla south of Escombreras.
The desalination plant would be powered by a solar facility in Caravaca de la Cruz, with an output of 2,700 megawatts and an area of about 5,330 hectares. The project also involves Librilla and other areas, including San Pedro and Los Alcázares, with substantial generation expectations for each site.
Plans for another plant in Cartagena aim for a 25 hm3 annual production. Escombreras has become a focal point for desalinated water and has drawn attention beyond the regional plant. Montexplo, a partner in the ACS group to operate desalination, plans to establish a new plant with a 25 hm3 annual capacity, expanding the region’s desalination footprint.
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