Riachuelo: The river of Buenos Aires renaissance
PIETRO SALINI
We are truly proud to have worked with the Argentine government and the World Bank on this project, with the aim of improving the environment and the quality of life for many people. That is what infrastructure does: it improves life quality. This represents a symbol of sustainability for the country.
Innovation, sustainability, engineering-construction complexity, integrated approach and great teamwork. These are the key words that describe the environmental recovery project of the Riachuelo River and the River Plate.
Webuild Group (formerly, Salini Impregilo) is actively collaborating with the Argentine Government to clean up the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The contamination level of the river has not been overlooked by the World Bank, leading international agency supporting development increase and poverty reduction. The World Bank has decided to co-finance the construction of a wastewater treatment plant and management system, together with the Argentine government. The kilometric tunnels and canals built will ensure a water treatment system in Buenos Aires, beneficial for the health and life quality of 4.3 million citizens.
Despite the difficulties arising from the pandemic, we have managed to continue working safely on this important project, reaffirming two major strengths that characterize our people: resilience and organizational capacity to cope with complex situations effectively. During this challenging past year, we have become more aware that global challenges require governments and companies to respond collaboratively, valuing activities that help us
create a more sustainable ecosystem.
The Riachuelo Project was very complex from both the technical and organizational point of view. The Group wanted to participate in two of the three lots, and that involved the study and application of an innovativemethodology: the Riser Concept. Webuild was the first company in the world to use this technique, which is based on the use of an ambitious prototype that mechanizes operations, improving workers’ safety, reducing risks and lead times, and bringing environmental benefits. These are the priorities that guide all our projects worldwide.
Being just one of many environmentally significant projects in which Webuild is engaged, it demonstrates our commitment to the realization of works that contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals established by the
United Nations. From Italy to Australia, from Qatar to the United States, Webuild is a major partner of public and private clients working to promote sustainable solutions for efficient water management throughout the water cycle. Twenty million people are served every day by the Group’s desalination plants. There are 5 billion people in the world living in areas at risk of water scarcity and 2.4 billion without access to safe drinking water. We look to the future and are willing to do our part to improve this situation.
These numbers, in fact, are evidence of a global emergency and highlight the need for efficient water management. At Webuild, the extraordinary work of highly skilled, passionate men and women who built the Riachuelo Project synthesizes our strength and determination. I would like to express my special gratitude to each of those who have made this project possible. Their commitment is a symbol of the results that can be achieved through collaborative work. It also symbolises the sense of responsibility that each of us must focus on to save our planet and ensure a better future for ourselves, for our children and for the territories in which we operate.
Pietro Salini
Chief Executive Officer of Webuild Group
