The Regional Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Carmen Crespo, stressed on Monday that the commitment made by the Andalusian Regional Government to promote public-private collaboration with large companies in the region, such as the Cosentino Group, allows work to continue on the development of the Community’s Regenerated Water Plan. Crespo explained that this collaboration is helping to continue to increase the 17% volume that Andalusia has.
Crespo stated this during a technical visit to the multinational’s industrial park in Cantoria (Almeria), where he saw the progress made in the company’s own Wastewater Regeneration Station (ERAR), which guarantees the company’s energy self-consumption, as it allows 324,000 m³ of groundwater to cease to be used, thus favouring the recovery of aquifers.
According to Crespo, Cosentino «is the Andalusia and Spain brand», something that the company demonstrates «through innovation and the constant search for new solutions; and this is demonstrated by this ERAR, because thanks to its cutting-edge technology, it makes the reuse of water from this tertiary possible». The Regional Minister recalled that in this way, Zero Discharge has been achieved «as 99% of the company’s industrial processes now use recycled water».
The Andalusian Minister of Water has valued the concession for the use of treated water in the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) that serves the Almeria municipalities of Fines, Macael and Olula del Río as a «key» service. He also indicated that the Cosentino Group «has established itself as an exemplary company, committed to the circular economy and water efficiency; we congratulate the company for its initiative to build this WWTP that allows it to implement a tertiary system to have reclaimed water in its factory,» he said.
Cosentino reuses water for irrigation in the green belt it created in its Industrial Park as a CO2 sink, in the Silestone and Dekton composite manufacturing plants, as well as in the marble polishing plant.
The councillor recalled that the case of the multinational, which in 2023 reached a turnover of 1,570 million euros, is a «clear example» of the results that can be achieved through public-private collaboration. Crespo insisted that the multinational has shown how «the business drive and growth of this company is not at odds with the water improvement of an area that needs to make every drop of water efficient.
A step, she maintained, that is in line with the objective pursued by Andalusia’s water policy, «supporting major projects such as this one, which, in addition to favouring the use of reclaimed water in industry, also means the recovery of aquifers and greater water availability for both supply and irrigation», the Minister maintained.
