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above 3,000 m. First water reached Radomiro Tomic in June 2026; accepted capacity and sustained service remain unpublished.

Project signal

Commissioning in Chile

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

Last checked

15 July 2026

Coverage

Related sectors

Marine utilities is the primary work classification. Related sectors connect this record to adjacent marine delivery and market coverage.

Subject index

Related subjects

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

Project anatomy

Contract scope and delivery roles

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 connects an offshore intake tower and submarine intake and brine-return pipes to the plant through a blasted trench, auxiliary pier and coastal sump. Acceptance also depends on pipeline filling, high-head pumping, power, water quality and reservoir commissioning over about 3,000 m of elevation.
Commercial evidence boundary
The BOOT concession and EPC packages are committed. Remaining work covers commissioning support, marine inspection and maintenance, integrity, pumping and electrical reliability, water-quality assurance, spares and operational readiness. No new prime construction award appears in the cited records.

Project timeline

Material developments

Dated events that changed scope, counterparties, delivery, commissioning or operating status.

Open this project in the Change Log

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.

Source

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.

Source

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.

Source

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.

Source

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.

Source

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.

Source

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.

Source

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.

Source

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.

Source

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.

Source

Evidence gap

What remains unverified

Outstanding evidence

  • 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

Reporting status

Commissioning, confirmed confidence

Last checked 15 July 2026 across 14 cited sources. The dated timeline above carries the project events.

Last checked 15 July 2026 Cited sources 14

Sources and related records

Read featured analysis Methodology Submit a correction Project tracker
Source collections

Project sources 14