Cox to Build US$304 Million Desalination Plant

Cox has been awarded a contract to build a large-scale desalination plant in Playas de Rosarito, Baja California, as Mexico seeks to strengthen water supplies in one of the country’s most water-stressed regions.

The project represents an investment of US$304 million and is part of the priority initiatives included in Mexico’s National Water Plan. Promoted by the National Water Commission (Conagua), the facility will supply drinking water to Playas de Rosarito and southwestern Tijuana.

Construction of the first phase is expected to take approximately three years. The plant will initially process 2,200 liters of seawater per second, adding around 190 million liters of drinking water per day to the regional supply system and benefiting roughly one million people.

Once fully developed, the facility is expected to reach a capacity of 4,400 liters per second, equivalent to more than 380,000 cubic meters of drinking water per day. At full capacity, it is expected to become the largest desalination facility for human consumption in Latin America.

The plant will use reverse osmosis technology, which removes salts, minerals, and other impurities from seawater through semipermeable membranes. Cox will oversee the engineering, specialized equipment procurement, and construction of the infrastructure.

The project will also provide Baja California with an additional water source that is independent of the Colorado River, helping diversify the region’s supply and strengthen its resilience to water shortages.

The investment expands Cox’s presence in Mexico following its acquisition of Iberdrola Mexico and adds to the company’s international desalination portfolio. Cox currently operates desalination facilities in 16 countries, with a combined capacity of more than 4.4 million cubic meters of desalinated water per day.