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88.3 Thousand Square Meters of Land on Praia do Futuro Is Granted by the Federal Government for Mega Desalination Plant by Cagece with an Investment of R$ 3.2 Billion, Capable of Producing 86.4 Million Liters per Day and Supplying Up to 2 Million Residents of the Metropolitan Region of Fortaleza by 2025
On December 12, 2025, the Official Gazette of the Union formalized the free grant of a coastal land of 88.3 thousand square meters on Praia do Futuro, in Fortaleza, for the implementation of Ceará’s mega desalination plant, Dessal. The area, valued at R$ 31.2 million, will have an exclusive purpose for a seawater desalination project aimed at supplying the Metropolitan Region of Fortaleza.
On December 14, 2025, the federal government and the Ceará Water and Sewage Company (Cagece) reinforced that the mega desalination plant is part of the Imóvel da Gente program, with a declared focus on water security. According to the superintendent of the Union Heritage in Ceará, Fábio Galvão, it is a strategic delivery to reduce the risk of collapse in water supply in a region that is home to around 700 thousand to 2 million people directly benefited.
Coastal Land and Imóvel da Gente Program
The mega desalination plant only came to fruition after the final free allocation of the coastal land by the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services and the Secretariat of Union Heritage in Ceará.
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A Brazilian city gains a factory worth R$ 300 million with the capacity to process 200 thousand tons of wheat per year, a mill of 660 tons/day, silos for 42 thousand tons, and an industrial area of 276 thousand m².
The land, measuring 88.3 thousand square meters, is located in a strategic area of Praia do Futuro and has been included in the Imóvel da Gente program, which prioritizes the use of federal assets in projects with direct social impact.
According to the grant agreement published in the Official Gazette of the Union, the space must be used exclusively for the project
Dessal, described as an initiative for desalination of seawater for the supply of a population estimated between 700 thousand and 2 million people.
The definition of a wide perimeter allows for the accommodation of both the mega desalination plant and the operational support structures and connections with the already existing pipelines and reservoirs.
Capacity of Dessal and Impact on Supply in Fortaleza
The mega desalination plant was designed to operate with a capacity of 1 cubic meter of desalinated water per second, equivalent to about 86.4 million liters per day.
In practice, this volume can significantly relieve the pressure on traditional water sources, in a state historically marked by drought and dependence on large inland reservoirs.
According to projections by Cagece, the integration of the mega desalination plant into the metropolitan system is expected to diversify the water matrix and reduce vulnerability to prolonged periods of drought.
The water produced at Praia do Futuro will be directed to specific pipelines, connecting Dessal to distribution points that serve Fortaleza and surrounding municipalities, focusing on densely populated areas.
PPP, Investment of R$ 3.2 Billion and 30-Year Concession
The governance of the mega desalination plant is structured in a public-private partnership between Cagece and the SPE Águas de Fortaleza consortium.
The concession contract, estimated at R$ 3.2 billion, provides for the implementation, operation, and maintenance of the plant for 30 years, with performance goals associated with the continuity of supply and the quality of water delivered to the population.
In this model, Cagece remains responsible for the distribution system and the interface with consumers, while the private partner is responsible for building and operating the mega desalination plant within strict parameters of efficiency, operational cost, and reliability.
The design of the PPP aims to dilute financial risks and ensure long-term predictability for investments in water infrastructure in Ceará.
Obstacles Since 2017 and Location Change After Conflict with Submarine Cables
Announced in 2017, the mega desalination plant project faced obstacles until the formalization of the grant of the new land in December 2025.
One of the main points of conflict arose in 2023 when the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) opposed the originally planned location along the coast due to the presence of submarine communication cables.
The deadlock led to negotiations for a new route, with the relocation of the future mega desalination plant to an area about one kilometer ahead of the initially planned point.
The change of location was a central condition to unlock licensing and reduce risks of interference with critical telecommunications infrastructure, as well as allowing adjustments in the design of the pipelines and the connection to the metropolitan network.
Next Steps and Pressure to Start Construction Still in 2025
With the official grant in the Official Gazette of the Union on December 12, 2025, Cagece’s expectation is to start construction of the mega desalination plant still this year, aligning the engineering schedule, licensing, and contracting of services.
The next step includes the work order for the pipelines, deemed by the company as essential to integrate Dessal into the already operational system.
At the same time, discussions continue on social issues associated with the project, such as the relocation and resettlement of families in areas affected by the mega desalination plant, a topic that has already been related to housing programs like Minha Casa, Minha Vida.
The challenge will be to reconcile the urgency of water security with the mitigation of urban and social impacts in Praia do Futuro and the immediate surrounding area of the project.
In the end, the formalization of the land for the mega desalination plant marks a concrete advance in a project debated for almost a decade, but still leaves open questions about deadlines, execution, and real effects on the lives of residents.
In your evaluation, is Ceará indeed taking a decisive step to ensure stable water supply to the Metropolitan Region of Fortaleza, or is there still a lack of transparency regarding costs, local impacts, and the timeline of this mega desalination plant?
Essa orla da praia do futuro 1 é 2 se tivesse investimento em todos os sentidos seria a orla mais grande e mais bonita da América do Sul e do mundo ,vocês não tem noção do quanto nós somos abençoado ,sou morador .
Creio que sim.
Deve aumentar substancialmente a já tão cara tarifa de água paga pela população….