The works, which are expected to begin in spring and last for a period of approximately two years, will allow more than 400 hectares of the municipality of Roquetes to be incorporated into the irrigation system.
The Catalan Institute of Finance (ICF) has endorsed the General Community of Irrigators of the Xerta-Sénia canal with 1.13 million euros to proceed with the awarding of the works corresponding to the second phase of the project. In this way, the irrigation system will be extended to the municipality of Roquetes and will integrate more than 400 hectares of the interior plain of the town of Baix Ebre dedicated to the cultivation of olive and citrus trees.
The works of this second phase, which involve a total investment of 19 million euros, are expected to begin in spring and last for a period of approximately two years. The guarantee of the public promotion bank of the Generalitat de Catalunya has been key to giving the green light to an operation that had been blocked for months.
"The ICF is there to provide financial support to strategic projects for Catalonia such as the Xerta-Sénia canal, as well as to facilitate the transformation and modernization of the primary sector. This endorsement is a new impetus for a project that not only represents a historical demand for the territory, but also a necessary condition to guarantee the economic, social and environmental viability of the sector in the Terres de l'Ebre", said the CEO of the ICF, Vanessa Servera.
On 23 February , a delegation from the public development bank, led by its CEO, visited the facilities, accompanied by representatives of the irrigation community, to learn first-hand about the current status of the project and the details of the second phase of the irrigation expansion.
After completing the first phase of the irrigation works, in which 57 hectares of the municipalities of Xerta and Aldover were incorporated, the efforts of the irrigation community are focused on incorporating as many farmers as possible from Roquetes. To date, more than 400 hectares have been adhered to it, around a third of the area planned in the municipality, which includes some 1,135 hectares.
The objective of the Xerta-Sénia canal is to encompass a total area of 16,480 hectares of the Baix Ebre and Montsià to guarantee an efficient, modern irrigation system adapted to the climate crisis. With an investment of approximately 100 million euros, the action includes the construction of key infrastructures, such as canals, pumping stations, regulation ponds and modern distribution networks, under energy efficiency standards and optimised water management.