Chile key to Sacyr’s record project backlog

Spanish firm Sacyr closed 2024 with a project backlog of 10.6bn euros (US$10.9bn), up 42% from end-2023 and a record high, mainly boosted by new contracts in its concessions division. 

At the end of 2024, concessions represented 71% of Sacyr’s total backlog, up from 51% at end-2023, the company said in a press release.

Concessions accounted for 73% of Sacyr’s new contracts awarded during 2024, reaching 2.29bn euros of a total of 3.13bn euros.

As a result, Sacyr Concssiones’ backlog closed last year at 7.48bn euros, up 98% from 12 months earlier.

Sacyr highlighted that Chile, just like Spain, represented 14% of the total backlog, behind only Italy (26%) and the United States (16%).

In terms of contracts awarded during 2024, the Spanish firm highlighted Lima’s Periférico beltway (US$3.4bn) and Chile’s northern airport network (US$316mn). 

Although Sacyr has yet to publish its 2024 annual report, previous releases also listed Chile’s Itata highway (US$564mn).

Sacyr also said the firm presented the lowest bid for the US$1.4bn concession for Chile’s route 68 between Santiago and Valparaíso, although that contract has not been awarded yet. 

The company also said the Melipilla-Malloco section of the Melipilla-Santiago railway (US$1.88bn) is in the same situation, though Chile’s state rail firm EFE said last month that the contract was officially awarded. 

The Spanish group is also in the list of companies that have purchased the full bidding documents for Chile’s first desalination concession.

Sacyr also holds infrastructure contracts in Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Mexico and Brazil.