Project record

Codelco Northern District desalinated water supply marine works

Aerial view of the SADDN desalination plant, coastal intake works, auxiliary marine structure, and Caleta Viuda shoreline in northern Chile

Techint Engineering & Construction

Codelco's SADDN links a 1.3 km submarine intake and brine-return system to an 840 l/s desalination plant, more than 160 km of 48-inch pipeline, three pumping stations, five substations, and a 250,000 m3 reservoir above 3,000 m. First water reached Radomiro Tomic in June 2026, while acceptance and sustained service remain separate gates.

Project signal

Commissioning in Chile

Treat the June 2026 arrival of desalinated water at Radomiro Tomic as a commissioning milestone, not evidence of full commercial operation. Full operation still requires accepted water quality and flow, continuous pumping across the complete elevation gain, stable marine intake and brine-return performance, and completed distribution interfaces to all three mining divisions.

Current status First desalinated water reached Radomiro Tomic during progressive commissioning; rated service and commercial operation remain open Source confidence Confirmed

Location

Chile / Americas

Segment

Marine utilities

Status

First desalinated water reached Radomiro Tomic during progressive commissioning; rated service and commercial operation remain open / Confirmed

Evidence reviewed

15 July 2026

Controlled taxonomy

Related sectors

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Knowledge context

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Project anatomy

Scope, counterparties, and execution logic

Client / authority
Codelco
Delivery parties
Aguas Horizonte, Techint Engineering & Construction
Contract route
Build-own-operate-transfer water-supply concession by Aguas Horizonte, with Techint Engineering & Construction delivering the EPC system
Execution window
Codelco authorized the BOOT contract in June 2022, Techint records project start in March 2023 and expected completion in 2026, and Aguas Horizonte's EPC order to proceed was public by June 2023. Coastal testing began after energization in August 2025; the first intake tower was installed in November, the Loa crossing was completed in December, and desalinated water reached the Radomiro Tomic reservoir on 23 June 2026 during progressive commissioning.
Works package
A BOOT desalinated-water supply system with an 840 l/s Stage 1 reverse-osmosis plant expandable to 1,956 l/s, approximately 1.3 km of 1.8 m diameter submarine pipeline, offshore intake structures and brine return, more than 160 km of 48-inch conveyance, three pumping stations, five substations, a 250,000 m3 reservoir, and distribution to Radomiro Tomic, Chuquicamata, and Ministro Hales.
Marine interfaces
The coastal package links an offshore intake tower, submarine pipes, a blasted seabed trench, an auxiliary pier, a coastal sump, and brine return to the desalination plant. Its acceptance must then align with 48-inch pipeline filling, high-head pumping, power availability, water-quality control, and reservoir commissioning across an elevation gain of about 3,000 m.
Commercial read
The concession and principal EPC packages are already committed. Remaining specialist demand covers commissioning support, marine-system inspection and maintenance, corrosion and integrity management, pumping and electrical reliability, water-quality assurance, spares and operations readiness. Sustained performance, rather than a new prime construction award, is the next commercial test.
Next milestone
Confirm completion and acceptance of the marine intake and brine-return systems, validated water quality and rated flow, continuous high-head pumping to the reservoir, distribution to all three divisions, and the owner's declaration of commercial operation.

Material change register

What changed, when, and what it proves

Only source-bound events that alter phase, scope, counterparties, delivery, completion, commissioning, or acceptance are listed. A change can advance the record without proving the next gate.

Desalinated water reached the Radomiro Tomic reservoir

The event advances the record to first water across the integrated coast-to-mine route during progressive commissioning; rated flow, accepted water quality, marine reliability, all-division service, and commercial operation remain separate gates.

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Radomiro Tomic reservoir entered final construction

The contractor recorded the high-altitude reservoir, manifolds and surrounding pipework nearing physical completion at 3,080 m. Reservoir readiness advances the inland receiving interface, while water arrival, accepted storage, distribution and sustained operation remain unverified.

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The 48-inch conveyance line crossed beneath the Loa River

Techint completed a 940 m horizontal directional drilling more than 30 m below the riverbed, closing a named continuity risk in the inland pipeline. The crossing is a construction milestone, not proof of full-route hydraulic acceptance or marine-system readiness.

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First offshore seawater-intake tower transferred and installed

The source confirms physical delivery of a named intake structure and advances the marine work front beyond fabrication, without proving connected-system commissioning or accepted hydraulic performance.

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Coastal energization enabled desalination-plant testing

Techint reported the coastal electrical sector energized and testing and start-up of the desalination plant able to begin, while pumping-station mechanical and electrical work remained active. Energization opens commissioning; it is not accepted output or BOOT service commencement.

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Coastal plant and marine construction work documented

The project update identifies the auxiliary pier, coastal sump, underwater blasting, submarine-pipe trench, intake and brine-return work, establishing a physical marine package rather than a generic desalination interface.

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Codelco opened independent commissioning-counterpart procurement

The owner sought technical oversight for developer-led commissioning and start-up, separating BOOT delivery responsibility from Codelco's assurance role and later distribution-system operation. No appointment or commissioning acceptance followed from the procurement record alone.

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Project reached 43% with offshore pipe welding and marine temporary works active

The contractor reported the auxiliary pier and coastal sump under construction and offshore pipeline sections being welded at Mejillones for launch toward Caleta Viuda. Percentage progress and fabrication do not prove installed or accepted intake and return systems.

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Aguas Horizonte issued the EPC order to proceed

The contractor announcement confirms the project moved from BOOT award into EPC execution for the desalination, intake, pumping and conveyance system. The notice did not document mobilisation across every workfront or any completed marine asset.

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Codelco authorized the BOOT contract with the Marubeni-Transelec consortium

The owner record establishes the commercial route, consortium, more than USD 1 billion investment frame, marine works and integrated coast-to-mine scope. Contract authorization and award do not prove signature, notice to proceed, construction, commissioning or operation.

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Delivery watch

Evidence needed next

Confirm completion and acceptance of the marine intake and brine-return systems, validated water quality and rated flow, continuous high-head pumping to the reservoir, distribution to all three divisions, and the owner's declaration of commercial operation.

Decision watchpoints

  • Owner confirmation of full commercial operation
  • Marine intake, submarine pipeline, and brine-return acceptance
  • Continuous 840 l/s water-quality and hydraulic performance
  • Reliability of three pumping stations across the 3,000 m elevation gain
  • Distribution readiness for Radomiro Tomic, Chuquicamata, and Ministro Hales

Related records 2

Project availability status

This public project page is a tracked market record rather than a tender notice, contractual commitment, or commercial instruction. Use the status, confidence label, evidence-review date, and source note together when judging how much weight to place on the signal.

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Record control

Evidence reviewed date is not a project-event date.

IMWO changes phase, participants, scope, completion, or acceptance wording only when a dated source establishes the change. The review date records when the evidence set was checked; it does not claim that physical work changed on that date.

Evidence reviewed 15 July 2026 Sources in this record 14

Source record

Codelco's 30 June 2022 board record authorized the contract for the Marubeni-Transelec consortium under a BOOT model and identified more than USD 1 billion of investment, marine works, 840 l/s initial capacity, a 160 km conveyance system, and a reservoir above 3,000 m. Aguas Horizonte issued Techint E&C's EPC order to proceed by 8 June 2023. Techint reported 43% progress on 12 June 2024, with the auxiliary pier, coastal sump and offshore pipe welding active; its October marine update then documented underwater blasting, trench work, divers at about 28 m depth, intake pipes and brine return. Codelco's September 2024 commissioning-counterpart procurement separates developer-led design, construction, commissioning, start-up and 20-year operation from Codelco's independent technical oversight and later operation of the distribution system. Techint reported coastal energization and the start of plant testing in August 2025, Codelco reported 87% construction progress at September, the first offshore intake tower was installed on 5 November, and a 940 m horizontal directional drilling crossed more than 30 m below the Loa River in December. The reservoir was in final construction at 3,080 m in March 2026. Techint's 23 June first-water report explicitly keeps SADDN in construction, commissioning, hydraulic testing and progressive interface validation; accepted 840 l/s service, all-division supply, BOOT service commencement and full commercial operation are not declared by the owner.

Phase: commissioning. Evidence reviewed: 15 July 2026.

Project sources 14