Seawater desalination capacity of GCC countries is expected to grow by at least 37 per cent in the next five years with investments of up to as much as US$100bn by 2020, according to a report released ahead of the second edition of Mena Desalination Projects Conference in Abu Dhabi
Saudi Arabia, which produces around 4 mn cu m of desalinated water per day, is pushing to triple the capacity of desalination production by 2025 to reach 8.5 mn cu m per day. Tremendous opportunities await the private sector; with approximately US$ 80bn is expected to be invested in desalination projects over the next 10 years, said the Mena Desalination Market report by Ventures Onsite.
The UAE is developing Taweelah plant in Abu Dhabi with a capacity of 450,000 cu m of water per day, with a planned opening in Q4 2022, and the Jebel Ali plant complex with a capacity of 150,000 cu m of water per day and will open in Q2 2020, according to the report. The Taweelah plant will supply 909,200 cubic metres per day and will be 44 per cent larger than the world?s current largest reverse osmosis plant. It is sufficient to meet the water demand for over 350,000 households.
Oman?s desalination market in the country has been expanding by 5 per cent per year, mentioned the report. The country has a total of 9 large desalination plants, plus 47 small plants, which the government says supply about 86 per cent of the country?s potable water.
According to Frost & Sullivan, North African countries are the primary users of desalination, holding 79.9 per cent of Africa?s desalination capacity.
Egypt is building 20 desalination plants with a total capacity of 553,000 cu m per day with total investments US$ 0.7bn in seven governorates. The government is planning to build 18 more plants with a total capacity of 421,500 cu m per day with total investments of US$ 0.56 bn in five governorates, it said.
The second edition of the MENA Desalination Projects Conference is scheduled to take place from 10-11 March in Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
