Marine Utilities

Algarve starts work on a €107.9 million desalination system

Published 18 July 2026 Updated 10 August 2026 Publisher IMWO Region Europe Confidence Confirmed
Project representatives placing the ceremonial first brick at the Algarve desalination site on 8 July 2026

Águas do Algarve

Construction release came in April and the first brick followed on 8 July. The awarded scope includes two intake towers about 2 km offshore, twin intake conduits, a 2.13 km brine outfall, the coastal pumping station and a plant sized initially for 500 litres per second.

Published scope and current milestone

Águas do Algarve describes the 8 July first-brick event as the symbolic start of the plant works. Its April release records the 22 April construction consignment after a conditional DCAPE, and the 2024 contract record fixes the €107.923 million value, delivery consortium, 1,115-day design-build period, three-year operating period, two offshore intake towers, intake pipelines and 2.13 km brine outfall. The sources establish a live construction contract, not offshore mobilisation, installed marine works, first water or accepted environmental performance.

Marine-system delivery and operating implications

The plant cannot reach first water on land works alone. Large-diameter pipe handling, seabed preparation, tower installation, the discharge diffuser and marine monitoring all sit on the route to provisional acceptance. The contract then moves into a separate three-year operating period.

Evidence conclusion

Testing, acceptance and operating evidence

The owner has crossed three real gates: contract signature, environmental construction release and an on-site start. The July event was also explicitly symbolic, so it should not be used as evidence that the intake or outfall is in the water. Offshore progress begins when marine plant, an approved installation sequence and installed components appear together in survey and monitoring records.

Outstanding evidence

  • Offshore construction programme and marine subcontracting structure
  • Seabed survey, sediment characterization and trenching method
  • Intake-tower fabrication, tow-out, lowering and connection
  • Large-diameter intake and brine-pipeline installation
  • Diffuser completion and salinity-plume monitoring
  • Integrated hydraulic tests and provisional acceptance
  • First sustained 500 l/s output and start of the operating period

Related records 1

Subject index

Related subjects

These subject pages bring together related projects, technical articles, reports, and evidence methods.

Sources used 5

Source collections