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Strong landing in
Colombia:
380 million
euros contract
for the El Salitre
Corporación Autónoma Regional (CAR) de
Cundinamarca selected the FCC Aqualia-
led consortium for the design, construction
and operations of the El Salitre wastewater
treatment plant, in Bogotá, Colombia, in
the project put out to tender where many
major international companies specialising
in these types of projects participated.
Once completed, the plant will be able to
treat 600,000 cubic metres of water per
day (m
3
/day) and will provide services to
three million residents. Valued at 380 mi-
llion euros, it is the biggest contract ever
awarded to FCC Aqualia in South America
and represents the Company’s first ventu-
re in Colombia.
The enlargement of the El Salitre wastewa-
ter treatment plant implies a complex tech-
nical challenge since it means increasing
the treatment capacity from 4 m
3
/second
to the 7.1 m
3
/s target. Furthermore, the fact
Managing
320 wastewater
treatment plants
As a company specialising in the de-
sign, construction and operation of
all types of sanitation infrastructures,
FCC Aqualia manages 320 was-
tewater treatment plants in four con-
tinents. The Company significantly
contributes to improving the lives of
the people in the communities whe-
re it operates. Coupled with its ex-
perience in treatment and sanitation
projects, the Company conducts
various R+D+I activities to be able
to apply new technologies in these
processes.
In the photo, a panoramic view of the city of Bogotá.
FCC Aqualia was
chosen for the design,
construction, and
operations of the
El Salitre treatment plant
that will provide services
to nearly 3 million
residents in Colombia’s
capital and will contribute
to the decontamination of
the River Bogotá
Worth 380 million euros,
this is biggest contract
awarded to date to FCC
Aqualia in South America
that the plant occupies the former grounds
of an old landfill site requires innovative
technical solutions. In this respect, FCC
Aqualia’s project contemplates the use of
more than 300 km of piles for the founda-
tion of the new plant.
The El Salitre wastewater treatment plant
project is part of the “Adecuación Hidráu-
lica y Recuperación Ambiental del Río Bo-
gotá” mega-project that is being carried out
since 2012 by CAR de Cundiamarca. The
aim is to minimise the odours generated by
the wastewater treatment in the north and
central part of the capital city of Colombia.
This will benefit the nearly three million resi-
dents. Furthermore, part of the treated wa-
ter will be used in the La Ramada irrigation
district in the nearby towns of Cota, Funza,
Mosquera and Soacha.
This will ensure that water that is treated
and disinfected at the El Salitre plant can
be used for agriculture and cattle-raising
purposes without implying a risk for public
health. The most important benefit of this
project, however, will be that it will con-
tribute to decontaminating the River Bo-
gotá. Improvement of the sanitation and
treatment is one of the objectives defined
by the United Nations in the Millennium De-
velopment Goals (MDGs).
The other companies in the consortium led
by FCC Aqualia are Aktor, a Greek com-
pany specialising in the construction of
major infrastructures, and the Colombian
company Cass. The project is to be tota-
lly completed in 60 months. The Design,
Build, and Operate (DBO) contract is to
be completely funded by the International
Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(IBRD). The technical specifications and
sum of this project makes it the most im-
portant one ever awarded to FCC Aqualia
in South America and bolsters its positio-
ning in LATAM, one of FCC Aqualia’s target
markets.
wastewater treatment plant in Bogotá