Quintana Roo partners with Dutch CleanTech and Oceanus to build an Integrated Sanitation and Circular Economy Center, deploying sargassum biodigestion and three new wastewater treatment plants in Cancun’s Hotel Zone to enhance environmental resilience and boost the local economy.
Quintana Roo’s government, led by Governor Mara Lezama Espinosa, and the Netherlands’ Ambassador to Mexico, Wilfred Mohr, unveiled a proposal today to establish a state-of-the-art Integrated Sanitation and Circular Economy Center. The initiative—currently under technical committee review—aims to deliver a long-term solution for the dual challenges of proliferating sargassum seaweed and untreated wastewater flowing into the Caribbean Sea.
This comprehensive Centre would leverage both Dutch and Mexican cutting-edge technologies to monitor, collect, and process sargassum along the northern coastline of Quintana Roo while treating effluents from Cancun’s Hotel Zone. Officials stress that the goal is not only to protect fragile marine ecosystems and public health but also to stimulate local economies by creating new revenue streams from byproducts such as biometane.
Central to the project is the construction of three wastewater treatment plants strategically located within the Cancun Hotel Zone. These facilities will incorporate advanced filtration and biodigestion systems capable of handling hotel-generated sewage and converting it into reusable water. Simultaneously, harvested sargassum will undergo anaerobic digestion alongside organic waste and pruning debris, producing renewable biogas for local use.
Secretary of Ecology and Environment Óscar Rébora explained that the Centre’s design encompasses four key components: continuous sargassum monitoring using satellite and in-field sensors; robust collection and transportation networks; bio-digesters for converting biomass into clean energy; and state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plants meeting international effluent standards. Together, these elements aim to reduce environmental risk and fortify tourism assets along the Mexican Caribbean.
Jacob Alexander Pielkenro, CEO of Dutch CleanTech—invitied to observe regional conditions firsthand—underscored the Netherlands’ global leadership in water management. “Our collaboration brings proven solutions to one of the world’s most visible sargassum-affected coastlines,” Pielkenro said. He clarified that current discussions remain exploratory and that any consortium agreement would undergo rigorous due diligence and financing arrangements.
The proposal envisages a consortium led by Dutch CleanTech in partnership with Oceanus International. Together, they would finance, design, construct, and operate the Centre under a public-private partnership model. The government emphasized that no binding contracts have been signed; instead, the technical committee will evaluate cost-benefit analyses, environmental impact assessments, and financing structures over the coming months.
Environmental experts point out that the Mexican Caribbean has faced record sargassum landings in early 2025. The University of South Florida’s Optical Oceanography Lab reported that April’s sargassum abundance was 150 percent higher than any previous April on record and 40 percent above the all-time peak of June 2022, setting a new historic high for the region. Unchecked, these seaweed blooms not only smother seagrass beds and coral reefs but also emit hydrogen sulfide as they decompose, posing health hazards and deterring tourists.
Local business leaders welcomed the initiative, noting that recurrent beach closures due to sargassum have cost coastal communities millions in lost revenue. “By converting an environmental menace into a renewable resource, we can protect our beaches and power our hotels,” said Ana García, president of the Cancun Hoteliers’ Association. She added that treated wastewater could be repurposed for irrigation and landscaping, further reducing freshwater demand.
Beyond environmental benefits, the project promises social and economic dividends. The Centre is expected to generate skilled green-job opportunities in operations, maintenance, and research. Governor Lezama highlighted that workforce training programs will be developed in collaboration with local universities and technical institutes, ensuring that residents benefit directly from high-technology jobs.
Public health officials underscored the urgency of tackling untreated sewage in one of Mexico’s fastest-growing tourist destinations. Raw effluent discharged near reefs and beaches has been linked to gastrointestinal illnesses in swimmers and reef degradation. By meeting or exceeding NOM-001 wastewater standards, the new plants aim to virtually eliminate pathogen loads in discharged water, improving coastal water quality and minimizing beach-related health advisories.
Governor Lezama framed the collaboration within the state’s “New Accord for Well-Being and Development,” which emphasizes shared prosperity through sustainable infrastructure. “Our vision is a Quintana Roo where environmental stewardship and economic growth go hand in hand,” she remarked. Should technical and financial reviews prove successful, groundbreaking could commence as early as late 2025, with phased operation beginning in 2027.
As the technical committee prepares its recommendations, stakeholders will weigh the Centre’s long-term viability, funding sources—including potential EU and private climate-finance contributions—and community engagement plans. If approved, Quintana Roo’s model could serve as a blueprint for other Caribbean destinations grappling with sargassum and waste-water challenges, turning an ecological threat into a circular-economy opportunity.
