Spain to reconsider wastewater BOTs

摘要

Spanish government officials have met with industry representatives to discuss the prospects for launching public-private partnerships (PPPs) to build and operate wastewater treatment infrastructure, the ecological transition ministry announced this month. Discussions centred on an EU-financed guide to setting up wastewater PPPs, a model to which Spanish central and regional administrations have, in the past, paid occasional lip service, but with the exception of the region of Aragon, never put into practice. According to the document, drawn up by KPMG, the pandemic has created a possible opening for private finance because of the availability of EU recovery funding, and because COVID-related regulatory changes have relaxed payback criteria for BOT contracts.