OHL receives the European Environmental award (spanish section)

OHL has been distinguished with the European Environmental award (Spanish section) 2009-2010 for the Berria Submarine Emissary in Cantabria. The award was received by Juan-Miguel Villar Mir, President of the OHL Group, during a solemn ceremony in Madrid, presided over by the Prince and Princess of Asturias.

The Berria Submarine Emissary was developed by the Cantabrian Hydrographic Confederation as the crux of their General Wastewater Processing Plan for the Santona Marshes. It’s a complicated infrastructure project, essentially built right on the coast of the Cantabrian Sea, whose waters add extra difficulty to sea works. Its task is the dumping of sewage water, collected via a network of collectors over 80 km long and previously treated, into the sea via two emissaries, one main one and one emergency one, over 3,500 m long. The dumping takes place three kilometres out to sea at 30 m deep with a final section that finishes with 20 diffusing outlets, obtaining the optimum effluent dilution and dispertion conditions.

OHL and its subsidiary SATO, specialised in port and maritime works, together with the local construction company SIEC, have built this infrastructure using advanced technology, equipped with modern equipment and the latest generation of machines and with the assistance of highly qualified technicians. It’s OHL’s foremost technical exponent in the construction of underwater works.

The winning project, against which 21 others competed, is the first of national scope to be received by a Spanish construction company solely for constructive development. The same project was previously awarded the Jose Azas prize 2009 in Cantabria, annually announced by the Cantabrian region’s Civil Engineers Association.

In this project, the judges of both prizes must evaluate the application of innovative production technology that has contributed outstandingly to achieving, among other things: unprecedented technology in the sector that requires almost all of the budget to be spent on equipment; preserving the intertidal area and coast, and the reduction of the affected seabed and the volume of breakwaters and aggregates employed; minimilisation of local socio-economic impact through non-invasive methods and a works duration two times less with respect to conventional works; and a notable reduction of dumping risks and accidents of employees compared with conventional emissaries.

The Spanish section prize has its own identity, aside from being the previous step to the European phase (whose sixth celebration is currently being called by the European Comission’s Directorate-General for the Environment), and it is supported by the Ministry of the Environment and the Biodiversity Foundation, making it the most prestigious award in our country relating to sustainable development in the business sector and gives enormous social recognition for OHL.

The Santona Marshes, located in Cantabria, form one of the most important ecosystems in mainland Spain. Due to its striking beauty, in the last few decades it has become a highly attractive tourist destination. This has contributed to an increase in waste water, with the subsequent deterioration of its waters. The General Wastewater Processing Plan for the Santona Marshes was designed for the purpose of recuperating and preserving the healthy state of its waters.

OHL is a business group involved in concessions infrastructures, construction, the environment and the develoment of industrial plants, spread out over 21 countries across four continents. It is among the six largest Spanish construction companies and among the ten biggest transport infrastructure concessionaires in the world. Respect for the environment and conservation stand out among its public commitments.