Aguas Horizonte Desalination Plant
Soil movement
Soil movement was carried out where the desalination plant will be located, and the surface of the bilge, which is very uneven due to its topography with rocky outcrops, was optimally conditioned.
Antofagasta Region, Chile
We are constructing a desalination plant and a water collection and pumping system for Aguas Horizonte, which will supply desalinated water to three large mining operations in northern Chile.
liters/second current maximum desalination capacity
kilometers of 48" pipe
meters above sea level final altitude
Aguas Horizonte Desalination Plant
Project beginning
people employed at the peak of construction, including in-house staff and contractors
kilometers of submarine pipeline with a diameter of 1.8 meters
pumping stations
220kV and 110kV substations
Expected completion
Project beginning
people employed at the peak of construction, including in-house staff and contractors
kilometers of submarine pipeline with a diameter of 1.8 meters
pumping stations
220kV and 110kV substations
Expected completion
| Customer | BOOT Aguas Horizonte |
| Scope of work | EPC |
Segment
Mining
The first pumping station will be located next to the plant, which will pump the water to a height of 1,100 meters. The second pumping station will raise the desalinated water another 800 m, and the last one another 1,300 m, until it reaches an industrial water reservoir with a capacity of 250,000 m3. From there, it will be distributed to two smaller reservoirs, one for the Radomiro Tomic processes and the other for the Chuquicamata and Ministro Hales processes.
The project will operate near the municipalities of Tocopilla and María Elena (Tocopilla Province) and the municipality of Calama (Loa Province) in the Antofagasta Region in northern Chile.
Province
Latitude
Longitude
Discover the main milestones
Soil movement
Soil movement was carried out where the desalination plant will be located, and the surface of the bilge, which is very uneven due to its topography with rocky outcrops, was optimally conditioned.
Platforms & temporary constructions
The construction of the platforms and buildings where the first operators, supervisors, administrators, etc. were located was successfully completed, as well as other facilities such as dormitories, dining rooms, polyclinics and offices.
Opening of roads
Work was carried out to open up the track for the laying of pipes, using heavy machinery for excavation and soil movement, and carrying out exhaustive and permanent monitoring using topographic drones.
Pipe transport
One of the most complex tasks of the project was transporting the 9,000 pipes (almost 170 km) from India to Chile using seven ships. With the trenchers already in operation, the pipes began to be transported to the storage areas, before moving on to the bending phase.
Key components
Once the civil works were completed, the first pieces of equipment were installed, such as multimedia filters and reverse osmosis trains. Centrifugal pumps, which arrived from Mexico, and electrical transformers for the pumping stations (the heart of the project) were also installed.
Electrical transmission system
It is 14 kilometres long to supply the coastline and 19 kilometres for the mountainous area of the project, at 3,000 metres above sea level, making it one of the key points for desalination and water injection. A challenging task that has demonstrated the commitment of our multidisciplinary team and the incorporation of new technologies.
Marco Matranga · Sr. Project Manager
“This is one of the most technically complex and important projects that Techint E&C has undertaken in its more than 70 years in Chile, and it has required each and every one of our employees to give their very best.”
Lily Núñez · Equipment Operator
“In this project, I work with people from different countries, which enriches my experience. I learn everyday thanks to colleagues who have been with the company for many years and who helped me and made me feel welcome from the very beginning.”
Rodrigo Larralde Campos · Deputy Project Director
“With the professionalism and passion that characterizes us, and by promoting a sustainable and responsible relationship with the Antofagasta Region, we will achieve the success of the project; a challenge that will open the doors for us to carry out similar works in Chile and other geographical areas.”
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