The announcement of the “first step towards the Sines desalination plant” was made in a statement by the Ministry of Environment and Energy, which notes that the project will reinforce the water supply system for the Sines Industrial and Logistics Zone (ZILS).

The statement quotes the Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, who says that the project is part of “a national strategy that guarantees water to attract investment, to protect water resources and to prepare the country for climate change”.

The desalination plant aims to meet the high water demand of the Sines industrial complex, reducing pressure on currently used conventional sources such as the Sado River and the Alqueva dam.

The solution under study, the Ministry notes, includes a desalination plant in São Torpes, water intake and storage systems, and phased production, with 16 hm³/year (cubic hectometres) in the first phase and up to 32 hm³/year in a later phase, depending on actual demand.

The tender includes the preparation of the Preliminary Study of the technical solution, the Environmental Impact Study, and the monitoring of the respective Environmental Impact Assessment procedure, "as well as the preparation of the documents for the future tender for the design, construction, and operation of the system."