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Date Published: 14/12/2022

ARCHIVED - Torrevieja exports salt to grit roads in UK, Ireland and Nordic countries

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The Vega Baja town, Alicante province will export 240,000 tonnes of salt to snow-hit countries in Europe

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Torrevieja exports salt to grit roads in UK, Ireland and Nordic countries

Torrevieja salt works - one of the largest in Spain - has begun its 300,000 tonne maritime salt export campaign, of which 240,000 tonnes is destined for road de-icing in a large part of Europe, in particular the Nordic countries, the UK and Ireland.

This month alone, the salt company based in the Natural Park of the Lagoons of La Mata and Torrevieja, estimates that more than 40,000 tonnes will leave Torrevieja Port's Salt Quay to cover the first of the snow storms overseas, which in some countries have been harsher than expected.

England in particular has experienced significant snowfall this week, especially in the heart of London, as have large parts of Scotland.

In the last few days, two cargo ships have moored in Torrevieja: the Olso Forest 3, 116 metres long and with a cargo capacity of 6,000 tonnes, under the Norwegian flag, which has already left the coast of Torrevieja bound for the Nordic country; and the 106-metre long Karla C which has set sail for the UK laden with 5,000 tonnes of salt.

"We have a lot of demand for salt from Northern Europe - Sweden, Norway, Finland, but also England and Ireland. These are regular customers but they are requesting more salt at the moment due to particularly adverse weather conditions in England and Northern Europe. Winter has literally begun," explained Torrevieja salt works' chief engineer, Joseph Pérez.

While the majority of salt exported to the foreign market is used for de-icing roads, around 20% of the total 300,000 tonnes produced will go to the fishing industry, as a preservative and additive for fresh catches in deep-sea fishing fleets and for the preparation of salted catches.

Meanwhile, between 200,000 and 250,000 tonnes are destined for the domestic market and road transport. Although this salt is also mainly used to stockpile on roads and for de-icing, it's also used in the chemical industry and in animal and human foodstuffs.

"There are 12,000 uses for salt. Of the total number of tonnes destined for the national market and depending on weather conditions, some 50,000 tonnes may end up stored in road maintenance areas or destined for regional or local administrations, for the same use," said Pérez.

Salt extraction in the Torrevieja lagoon - the pink lagoon - continues throughout the year and Salins' forecast is to extract 550,000 tonnes in the current campaign.

July is the only month in which extraction is suspended to carry out maintenance work and to give the salt a chance to set at the bottom of the waters loaded with brine ready for the next 'harvest'.

"At the moment, the salt extraction shifts are running at 100% with four tugboats and a harvesting machine. Thankfully, this year's torrential rains - the heaviest in the last 10 years with more than 400 litres per square metre - have not spoilt the harvest," added the chief engineer.

This was not the case in late 2016 and early 2017, following the DANA of September 2019, or with the Gloria squall in January 2020, which raised the level of the lagoon beyond two metres, reducing brine levels and making Torrevieja's unique extraction technology impossible.

The company had to resort to bringing in salt from the same group's sea salt works in the Maghreb to meet all its commitments to customers, and even extracted from the shores of the Torrevieja lagoon with front shovels and trucks, a highly unusual method.

In other news: More free parking in busy Benidorm tourism district

Image: Visita las Salinas de Torrevieja

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