# Rosarito Desalination Plant construction project

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/rosarito-desalination-plant-construction-project
> Updated: 2026-08-17T15:21:17.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 2.

Mexico’s National Water Commission (CONAGUA) has awarded a contract to a joint venture led by Cox Energy and Spain’s Cox Water to construct the Rosarito Desalination Plant in Baja California. The project, valued at approximately $304 million to $310.3 million, is intended to secure drinking water for the Tijuana, Playas de Rosarito, and Ensenada metropolitan areas, serving roughly two million people.

Utilizing reverse osmosis technology, the facility aims to provide a water source independent of the Colorado River to mitigate regional drought and overexploitation. The plant is expected to be the largest desalination plant in Latin America. While the first phase will have an initial capacity of 2,200 liters per second, the fully completed project is expected to reach 4,400 liters per second, producing over 380,000 cubic meters of water daily. Construction is estimated to take three years, with up to $114 million in financing from the North American Development Bank supporting distribution infrastructure.

## Claims

- The Spanish company Cox will invest 304 million USD to build a desalination plant in Rosarito, Mexico. (corroborated by 5 sources)
- The plant will have an initial capacity of 2,200 liters per second. (corroborated by 5 sources)
- The project was awarded by Conagua as part of the National Water Plan. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The final capacity of the plant will reach 4,400 liters per second. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The plant is expected to benefit up to 2 million people. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The construction period for the facility is set for 3 years. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Upon completion, it will be the largest desalination plant for human consumption in Latin America. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The plant will utilize reverse osmosis technology to convert seawater into potable water. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-08-17: Cox to build Latin America’s largest desalination plant in Mexico

Cox will invest $304 million to build Latin America’s largest desalination plant in Rosarito, Mexico, to secure water supplies for approximately two million people in Baja California.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/cox-to-build-304-million-usd-desalination-plant-in-rosarito

### 2026-08-15: Cox Energy awarded contract for Rosarito Desalination Plant

CONAGUA has awarded a $310.3 million contract to Cox Energy and Cox Water to build the Rosarito Desalination Plant in Baja California, Mexico, to supply water to Tijuana and Rosarito.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/cox-energy-awarded-contract-for-rosarito-desalination-plant

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Cite as: Rosarito Desalination Plant construction project. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/rosarito-desalination-plant-construction-project