Tomorrow should see the opening by the Ministry of Environment of the financial bids for the construction of the sewage plant in Nerja, the second stage in the tender process.
There are 14 bids involving 35 companies in various joint ventures and all are expected to be below the basic project budget of €40.6 million, although companies bidding too low will be penalised. It is widely expected that once the project gets awarded, the budget will then be ‘adjusted’, some reports suggesting that a final cost in the region of €60 million to €80 million would be more in touch with reality.
If all goes to plan – a big ‘if’ considering it has taken 40 years to get to this stage – then the provisional contract could be awarded at the end of the year and the actual contract shortly after.
That would mean that construction could begin during the first few months of 2013. The EU deadline for ‘zero discharge’ on the Costa del Sol is December 31st 2015, with Nerja being the only town without the necessary treatment plant.
Construction is scheduled to take 36 months.
failure to comply with the EU directive would result in Spain having to pay a fine.
Nigel says:
It does look as if they are going to have to pay the fine. Even if work were to start at the earliest scenario they would be doing well to get the plant finished in time.
In the meantime, everyone is going to have to put up with another 3 years, at least, of sewage floating in the sea off all the beaches of Nerja.
How many more fractures will there be, during that time, in the old pipe that is supposed to be carrying the sewage well out to sea?
Steve says:
By the time the usual “Black Money” has changed hands it will be more 4 years…….
Pam says:
And once the work is underway, where will we all park our cars??!!