This expansion, authorized by the Aragonese Institute for Environmental Management, will raise the facility's total water consumption to 53,961 cubic meters per year. At the same time, the volume of wastewater generated by the air-conditioning equipment will increase from 400 to 500 cubic meters per day.
After analyzing the proposal, Inaga ruled that the project does not require an ordinary environmental impact assessment because it will not generate significant adverse effects. In addition, the Ebro River Basin Authority and the manager of the Imperial Canal of Aragon confirmed that the new water intake represents just 0.004% of the infrastructure's average annual demand.
To limit the impact of the higher consumption, the company will implement various efficiency technologies and environmental engineering measures. A single nanofiltration treatment plant has been built, allowing up to 70% of the non-evaporated water to be reused internally. In addition, recirculation cycles in the air-conditioning system will increase from three to five, while the water system's start-up temperature will be raised to 29.4 ºC to reduce water use.
Finally, technical reports guarantee that the water supply network and the wastewater treatment plant at the El Espartal II industrial estate have sufficient capacity to handle the new flows. The quality of discharged water will remain strictly within the legally permitted limits. As a mandatory condition, the company must update its integrated environmental authorization and comply with a continuous monitoring plan.
