CAT need to manage their energy costs and be able to take advantage of green energy sources.
Consorci d’Aigües de Tarragona (CAT), a modern Spanish water utility serving approximately 800,000 people, faced a major challenge with skyrocketing electricity costs, despite a 70-million-euro investment in a state-of-the-art storage, distribution and network management system. The fluctuating wind energy supply in Spain further complicated their energy management, leading to reliance on costly alternatives when wind energy was unavailable.
CAT implemented SUEZ's AQUADVANCED® Water Supply, closing the loop between real-time electricity prices and optimised pump settings.
In 2013, CAT became the first in mainland Europe to implement SUEZ's AQUADVANCED® Water Supply. Andreu Fargas, Smart Water Lead at CAT, praised the software for its ability to optimize pump settings with real-time electricity prices. After a successful pilot, CAT implemented the solution across their entire network, and it has been in continuous operation since.
AQUADVANCED® Water Supply has enabled CAT to save 15% on their energy bill annually, optimise operations, and transition to solar power, while improving water quality and reducing their greenhouse gas footprint.
With AQUADVANCED® Water Supply, CAT achieved up to €700k annual savings, 15% of their energy bill. Despite unfavorable wind conditions, CAT saved over one million euros in the first three years. The software continues to optimise operations and reduce energy costs.
In 2024, AQUADVANCED® is key to CAT's OPTECAT project, aimed at optimising energy consumption and transitioning to solar power. "The OPTECAT project wouldn’t be successful without AQUADVANCED® Water Supply," says Andreu Fargas.
AQUADVANCED® also automates decision-making, minimises staff dependence, improves water quality, reduces greenhouse gas footprint, and supports operator training. "We are delighted with the decision to implement AQUADVANCED® Water Supply. It’s solving a serious operational energy cost issue" Fargas adds.
AQUADVANCED®: A long-term strategic weapon in the efficiency toolkit
