Madrid, November 10, 2005. - Befesa Medio Ambiente, the holding company of Abengoa’s environmental services business unit, has been awarded the 8.93 million euro contract to design and construct the USTW (Urban Sewage Treatment Works) in Meco, the interceptor and the discharge outlet to the river Henares, which will be managed by the Canal de Isabel II. This activity is included under the “Madrid treats” water treatment and reutilization plan that is being promoted by the Canal de Isabel II and which will be executed from 2005 to 2010 for the benefit of 2,500,000 inhabitants. The objective is to ensure the quality of the treated water.

Meco, a municipal district in the Autonomous Region of Madrid, is integrated in the Alcala de Henares - Meco Treatment System. Some of the wastewaters are gathered in a collector and are transferred, together with those of Alcala, to two treatment plants: Alcala East and West. Finally, the discharges are transferred to the Las Monjas waterway. For this reason and, moreover, due to the growth this municipal district is experiencing, the Treatment system has to be modified.

The new plant will treat the discharges from 58,686 inhabitants, with a 13,543 cubic meter per day capacity and medium load activated sludge treatment with biological elimination of nitrogen and sulfur. In addition, the plant will have two operating lines, although the project contemplates a future expansion with another two lines. The project includes the construction of a reinforced concrete interceptor that will transfer the waters from the existing collector to the new treatment plant, and a reinforced concrete treated water discharge outlet to the river Henares.

According to Befesa’s chairman, Javier Molina, “these works will provide Meco with the infrastructures required to cover the population growth”. Mr. Molina added that “the awarding of this contract demonstrates, yet again, Befesa’s leading position in the design and execution of water treatment works”.

Befesa’s experience in this sector is vastly proven by the works it has executed throughout the country: the Lebrija STW (Seville) and the Vendrell system STW (Barcelona), among others. And the recent contract awarded for the design and execution of the drinking water and sewerage system works in Ciudad Sandino (Nicaragua).

Befesa, Abengoa’s Environmental Services subsidiary, focuses its activity on providing environmental services for the industrial sector and on the construction of environmental infrastructures. It is a listed company and closed 2004 with treasury stock in excess of 393 million euro. In 2004, Befesa managed a total of 1,374,000 tons of industrial wastes, a twelve per cent increase on the previous year. (www.befesa.es).

Abengoa, a listed industrial and technology company with treasury stock in excess of 1,200 million euro, provides solutions for Sustainable Development, the Information and Knowledge Society, and the Creation of Infrastructures. It currently operates in four large fields of activity: Bioenergy, where it is the world’s second largest bioethanol producer; Environmental Services, where it is the leader in Europe in certain segments of the industrial wastes market; Information Technologies, where it is one of the main role players on the international scene with operations in Europe, the Americas, and Asia; and Industrial Engineering and Construction, where it is the leader in Spain and Latin America. (www.abengoa.com).