Elier González, General Director of Veolia Chile & Peru, emphasized the company’s strategic positioning in Latin America to provide value-added solutions supporting industrial operators’ transition toward greater resilience, sustainability and security in strategic operations. The company’s existing Chilean portfolio includes operation and maintenance of the Aguas Pacífico desalination plant in Valparaíso Region, featuring aqueduct systems extending over 105 kilometers that supply mining operations, rural communities, water sanitation services and a power plant.
Veolia’s innovative offshore desalination solution for the Chilean coast represents a modular plant designed to operate on a floating platform in the Pacific Ocean. Developed with strategic partner SBM Offshore, the facility is engineered to produce more than 1,000 liters per second. Preliminary studies indicate the model could significantly reduce project execution timelines compared to conventional coastal Chilean projects.
Massimiliano Santavicca, Commercial Vice President for Veolia’s water technology activities in Latin America, noted that water security urgency has evolved beyond operational concerns into a business continuity matter and strategic imperative for energy transition mining. Advanced technologies prove essential for building resilient infrastructure for expanding industries whose water resources face mounting pressure while preserving resources for surrounding communities.
González highlighted that water management will increasingly assume strategic perspective as mining maintains long-term operational vision despite cyclical patterns. Projects activating today will generate opportunities spanning 10 to 20 years, with water demand continuing to grow wherever mining operations exist. Optimizing water use, recovering every possible drop and developing new sources will prove essential, with desalination, reuse and efficiency improvements playing increasingly critical roles throughout the coming decade.
In 2025, Veolia’s water technology activities across Latin America enabled recovery of more than 3.3 million cubic meters of water, equivalent to filling 1,200 Olympic-sized pools annually.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
