Skip to main content

15% water reduction in Canal of Aragón and Catalonia

See how Siemens helped the Canal of Aragón and Catalonia cut water consumption by 15% - managing 350 inlets across 300 km from a single, real-time control center.

A canal with 350 intakes across its network

The Canal of Aragón and Catalonia has been supplying water to 49 cities and 129 irrigation communities for over 120 years covering more than 100,000 hectares across 300+ km of infrastructure. Managing 350 inlets spread across this vast network from a single control center was a major challenge. Incidents were hard to detect quickly, response times were slow and the system lacked transparency. By partnering with Siemens, the canal underwent a full digital transformation: Telcontrol Server Basic now connects all inlets via 4G/5G, SINEMA Remote Connect and Scalance routers ensure cybersecurity, and SIMATIC WinCC V8 provides real-time visibility across two interoperable control centers. The result: a 15% reduction in water consumption and a pioneering model for smart water infrastructure in Spain.

Canal of Aragón and Catalonia

Key benefits

Reduction in water loss in real time

Real-time monitoring via Telcontrol Server Basic enables instant incident detection across all 350 inlets, cutting water consumption by 15% and improving flow management across the entire canal network.

Secure protection of critical infrastructure

NIS2-compliant cybersecurity ensures secure remote data transmission between technicians, control centers and field systems across more than 300 km of canal infrastructure.

Inlets connected from one control center

All 350 inlets across 300+ km are connected via 4G/5G to two interoperable control centers in Monzón and Binéfar, giving operators full visibility and control across all five management zones.

Water saved. Future secured.

Full visibility with SIMATIC WinCC V8 and TIA Portal

From two interoperable control centers in Monzón and Binéfar, operators monitor and control the entire canal infrastructure across all five management zones using SIMATIC WinCC V8. The Canal of Aragón and Catalonia was a pioneer in adopting the TIA Portal platform as a standardization tool - a first for irrigation distribution systems in Spain, enabling data transparency that simply didn't exist before.

Operator monitoring canal infrastructure on multiple SCADA screens in a modern WinCC V8 control center.

Secure remote connectivity

SINEMA Remote Connect and Siemens security hardware, such as the Scalance M or Scalance MUM routers, are used for secure data transmission between the service technicians, the control center and the installed systems. This fulfils the industrial cyber security regulations for critical infrastructures as laid down in the NIS2.

A promotional image for a remote control device with a sleek design and a button layout.

Efficient automation

Our main challenge is to detect incidents immediately, reducing incident response times and improving flow management in a secure and transparent way. "We needed an update of the canal control system, and Siemens digitalization technology was the ideal tool we relied on," said Operations Director, Roberto Quintilla, Canal of Aragón and Catalonia.

Upgrading of the control system for the Canal of Aragón and Catalonia

Real-time transparency

With WinCC/WebUX, real-time infrastructure management in a modern, mobile-connected control center becomes a necessity. The canal's field operators are equipped with thirty tablet-type mobile devices, enabling secure and seamless access to the application from anywhere and in any situation. This empowers them to monitor operations in real time and supports faster, well-informed decision-making on the go.

A mobile device with the Kyp Tablet interface, displaying various industrial control system components and data.
The main objective of the commitment to Siemens technologies is, in short, 'the improvement of the network management with a clear move forward to the digitalization of all our infrastructures.'
José Luis Pérez, President, Canal of Aragón and Catalonia

And that's not all!

The Canal of Aragón and Catalonia has been supplying water to 49 towns and 129 irrigation communities for over 120 years. To this end, in addition to urban consumption, it has a flow rate of 50 cubic meters per second that provides service along an infrastructure of more than 300 kilometers to an irrigated area of over 100,000 hectares.

Siemens and Canal of Aragón and Catalonia will continue to travel together towards digital transformation.

Get your journey started

Contact us