PDVSA desalination plant to up capacity

The desalinization plant servicing Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA's Paraguaná refinery complex (CRP) will reach treatment levels of 800l/s in the coming days, according to a Falcón state release.

The plant, which is located in the Punta Cardón parish within the Carirubana municipality, is producing 600l/s. Output is prioritized for human consumption, said CRP head Jesús Sánchez.

Northern and northwestern Venezuelan states, including Falcón, Vargas, Zulia, and Apure, have been grappling with severe drought conditions for nearly two years.

The government's response has included perforation of subsurface wells, increased tanker truck supplies, the curbing of illegal connections and non-revenue water, and planning for additional desalinization plants - backed by Chinese technical and financial support -in the Falcón municipalities of Los Taques, Falcón, and other coastal areas.

Some US$250mn was invested in the Punta Cardón plant, the Falcón release states.