Desalination Projects Bring US$9.6 Billion in Current Global Construction

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Written by Eric Funderburk for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

More than US$9 billion of desalination projects are under construction throughout the world, with another US$51 billion worth in various stages of planning and engineering.

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A Notable Sector

As freshwater supplies tighten, population centers shift and industrial processes expand, construction of desalination plants for both potable water and industrial purposes is underway throughout the world. Industrial Info Resources is tracking around US$9.6 billion worth of desalination construction presently underway, including roughly US$7.1 billion for the Food & Beverage Industry and US$2.5 billion for other sectors, primarily Metals & Minerals and Chemical Processing.

Food & Beverage Desalination

Obtaining potable water for the general population is the primary driver of the majority current on-the-ground desalination projects. Industrial Info Resources is tracking 29 major desalination projects that are under construction within the Food & Beverage Industry, scattered in locations throughout the world, with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) leading investments with more than US$1.75 billion in current spending.

The largest current UAE desalination project comes under the auspices of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, which in 2024 kicked off construction of a plant on the shores of the Arabian Gulf that is expected to produce 180 million imperial gallons (216 million U.S. gallons) per day of drinking water. The US$900 million+ project is expected to begin operating in the early months of next year.

This plant is joined in the UAE by another approximately US$844 million in desalination construction that, when completed later this year, will begin ramping up to production of a combined 190 million imperial gallons (228 million U.S. gallons) of water per day for drinking purposes.

The largest desalination project currently under construction is underway in Morocco, where the government is overseeing the multiphase construction of a desalination plant in Casablanca that will produce around 300 million imperial gallons (360 million U.S. gallons) of drinking water per day. The second and final phase construction is expected to close by the end of 2027, allowing the plant to ramp up to full capacity.

U.S. Construction

Industrial Info Resources is tracking around US$875 million of current U.S. desalination construction, and multiple projects are in a planning or engineering phase. The largest current U.S. project by far broke ground earlier this year in Clearwater, Florida, and is actually an expansion of an existing 1 billion-U.S.-gallon-per-day plant that will see another reverse osmosis unit added, capable of processing an additional 65 million U.S. gallons per day of seawater. Construction is expected to last about two years before the unit begins operations.

Other desalination plants are under construction in California and Texas, which each boast two major desalination construction projects underway.

Other Industries

While the majority of desalination projects are to obtain potable water, several other projects are aimed to supply desalinated water for industrial processes. Chile, in particular, is seeing a tremendous amount of desalination work to support both the mining and downstream processing sides of its Metals & Minerals Industry. The largest of these is part of a US$1 billion project in the country's Antofagasta region that will be able to process nearly 2,000 liters (528 U.S. gallons) per second of seawater to supply the metals sector, including a mining complex and copper concentrator.

Two other desalination projects in Chile also will support the Metals & Minerals Industry and include the expansion of an existing plant and a grassroot facility that will contribute another 1,450 liters (383 U.S. gallons) per second of desalination capacity.

Key Takeaways

• Industrial Info Resources is tracking around US$9.6 billion worth of current global construction at desalination facilities.
• Existing construction consists of approximately US$7.1 billion of projects for drinking water and another US$2.5 billion for industrial purposes.
• The United Arab Emirates represents in the largest investor in current desalination construction and is presently underway with additions totaling 370 million imperial gallons (44 million U.S. gallons) per day.

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About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 trillion (USD).