CRAMSA

Community Learned About Optimizations to the Multi-purpose Desalination Project

A new Citizen Participation process was carried out as part of the Environmental Impact Study evaluation for the “Aguas Marítimas” project by CRAMSA.

A total of six new citizen participation sessions organized by the Environmental Evaluation Service (SEA) were held in various locations in the Antofagasta Region as part of the environmental evaluation process for the CRAMSA desalination project “Aguas Marítimas.” This initiative allowed the community to learn about the details of the project and the recently applied optimizations, as well as enabled residents to provide their opinions and observations, promoting their participation in the evaluation.

“It was an enriching experience that confirms the importance of timely, clear, and transparent information to advance the creation of community relationships based on trust,” highlighted CRAMSA’s General Manager, Peter Hatton.

The executive pointed out that “in each session, we were able to share the details of the optimizations applied to the project, many of which arose from observations made by the communities themselves, along with information on the desalination plant engineering included in the project, the distribution layout, and the benefits for the territory, impacts, and our mitigation proposal.”

Citizen Voice

The process included an Open House session in downtown Antofagasta, as well as five Citizen Dialogues in the Altos La Portada sector in La Chimba and in Caleta Coloso in the same city, in addition to sessions in Calama, Chiu-Chiu, and Baquedano.

“We were able to learn what the project is about and discuss concerns regarding the impacts it could have on our agricultural community,” said Maritza Viza, a member of the Altos La Portada Agricultural Association.

Jaime Saavedra, an AGREBUMAR member, stated that “for our association, these instances are of great value because they allow us to learn how the project is progressing, considering that we will have direct interaction, which generates high expectations in our community.”

For Leonardo Pazmiño, who participated in the Open House in Antofagasta, “it was an excellent experience because, in general, there is not much knowledge about environmental evaluation systems, and bringing them closer to the community for participation is indeed a significant step.”

From Calama, Eduardo Choque, spokesperson for Ayllu Sin Fronteras, highlighted the company’s disposition. “Today we see that improvements have already been applied to the project to further protect the area’s biodiversity and archaeological sites, and that is appreciated.”

In this regard, Elvira Ramírez, a resident of Baquedano, expressed that “one can learn about initiatives that could impact them, where we can give our opinion, and it can be taken into account. I see that the project could contribute to having a new water source and thus prevent our rivers from continuing to dry up.”

“Aguas Marítimas” Project

CRAMSA leads the “Aguas Marítimas” project, which aims to produce and distribute desalinated water for various uses in the Antofagasta region. The project includes a desalination plant, a seawater intake and discharge system, and other support systems that have been optimized according to the received observations.

This initiative seeks to contribute to the regional water matrix, offering a sustainable solution to water scarcity. Additionally, the project is expected to generate new economic opportunities and improve local employability.

Citizen observations on the project can be submitted until June 17 on the SEA website.