Marbella will have more than 50 machines to maintain its beaches and tackle the Asian seaweed

The project will provide the local authority with an operational fleet comprising up to 57 types of specialised machinery; a deployment designed to give municipal services greater agility, responsiveness and capacity. The contract covers the removal of invasive algae, as well as the re-profiling, restoration and maintenance of the coastline, and the cleaning and maintenance of the 21 streams and four rivers that flow through the municipality. The contract is worth 1.5 million euros per year over the four financial years during which it will be in force (6 million in total), with the option to extend it for a further year.

“This is not merely a machinery contract, but an essential tool for prevention, maintenance and safety in Marbella, enabling us to anticipate problems and provide a more responsive and effective service to the public throughout the year,” said officials from the environment and beaches department in reference to this new contract, which replaces a previous one that has now expired. The tender, they explained, “will enable us to strengthen our mechanical resources and expand the council’s capacity for action”. In addition to maintaining routine work, “it will facilitate the response to storms, heavy rainfall, landslides, embankment collapses and other incidents requiring rapid and effective intervention”. In fact, the resources provided will enable the beaches to be reshaped and restored, and sand to be moved and redistributed between areas of the coastline; these measures “help to restore the beaches to a usable condition, correct unevenness and improve accessibility and safety”.

The contract reflects the fact that combating Asian seaweed and redistributing aggregates following winter storms are no longer one-off tasks but have become central to beach management planning. The list of machinery put out to tender includes heavy-duty equipment with high load-bearing and traction capacities (such as large wheeled loaders, multi-purpose backhoe loaders, high-powered agricultural tractors with 4x4 drive, tipper lorries and high-capacity articulated dump lorries). This machinery is essential for removing the tonnes of biomass that accumulate along the shoreline: they can also be used to move large quantities of sand.

The scope is not limited to heavy machinery. The catalogue of mechanical equipment set out in the tender covers a diverse range, from environmental micro-management to public works for coastal conservation. Specifically, there will be Bobcat-type skid-steer loaders and mini-excavators, which are essential for operating in narrow access points or sensitive areas where heavy machinery cannot manoeuvre; tractors fitted with specialised beach-cleaning attachments for fine-sifting sand; water-tank lorries and support vehicles for cleaning tasks; and environmental support machinery, such as crawler excavators, motor graders and articulated lorries for environmental restoration work in river and stream environments.