MOROCCO – Energy Recovery has secured $27.5 million in contracts for desalination projects in Morocco. With reservoir levels dropping to 25%, Morocco aims to source half of its drinking water from desalination by 2030. The company's energy-efficient pressure exchangers will be key in making these desalination plants sustainable, reducing energy consumption by up to 60% and preventing over 475,000 tons of carbon emissions annually. These plants will produce over a 1 million m³/d of potable water daily, benefiting over 600,000 people, with more than half of the water allocated for agriculture. Additionally, Morocco's National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) is investing $47 million, with support from the African Development Bank, in a national project to enhance water supply for the city of Guercif and surrounding areas. (Pumps Africa)

FRANCE – Fluence Corporation has secured a $7.1 million contract to provide a 10,000 m³/day seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) system for the Grande-Terre desalination plant in Mayotte, a French archipelago in the Indian Ocean. The project, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, aims to meet the growing water needs of the region. The SWRO system will be skid-mounted to reduce construction and commissioning times and will include advanced filtration and reverse osmosis technology to ensure high-quality potable water. Fluence is collaborating closely with Stereau SAS, the main contractor, leveraging its global expertise and resources from teams in the US and Middle East. (Filtration+Separation)

INDIA – Mumbai Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Sachin Sawant has alleged corruption in the $477.247 million desalination project led by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which aims to treat seawater for supply to Mumbai. Sawant claims irregularities in the tender process, accusing Gawar Construction of submitting a bid without a valid joint venture agreement with its technology partner, Veolia, and alleges that this was done to support the L1 bidder, IDE. He also suggests that the tender conditions were manipulated to favor IDE, excluding other qualified global companies. Additionally, Sawant highlighted that Gawar Construction has been blacklisted in Rajasthan and questioned the validity of its bid. He has called for the cancellation of the tender process. Due to these issues, the BMC's project consultant was unsatisfied with the bidders' documents, leading to the tender's cancellation and the need to retender. (Hindustan Times)

VA Tech Wabag, a water technology company, has secured a repeat order worth $49.51 million from the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) for the operation and maintenance of the Nemmeli Desalination Plant. This plant, inaugurated in 2013, is the first municipal desalination plant in India built on a Design, Build, Operate (DBO) basis for drinking water. The order covers an 110,000 m³/d seawater reverse osmosis plant for a period of seven years. Wabag had previously completed an operation and maintenance contract for the plant, which was extended by CMWSSB until the new tender was awarded. Following this announcement, shares of VA Tech Wabag increased by 6%. (Financial Express)

SAUDI ARABIA – The Saudi Water Authority (SWA), formerly known as the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC), has set a world record as the largest producer of desalinated water, with a capacity of 11.5 million m³/d. SWA operates 33 desalination plants and over 139 purification plants across Saudi Arabia, supplying 60% of the Kingdom's water needs. The authority recently received nine Guinness World Records, including for the world's largest desalination plant at Ras Al-Khair and the lowest energy consumption for desalination. (World Record Academy)

_{Saudi Water Authority has set a world record as the largest producer of desalinated water, with a capacity of 11.5 million m³/d. Credit: World Record Academy}

PORTUGAL – The Sustainable Water Platform (PAS) has questioned the viability of constructing a desalination plant in the Algarve, citing insufficient funds as a major issue. The project, part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), is facing a shortfall after costs increased by nearly 50%, making the original financing of $55.965 million inadequate. PAS highlighted that this funding gap could lead to significant increases in consumer water bills, questioning the logic and feasibility of the investment. The platform also criticized inconsistent positions from local authorities, who have eased water consumption restrictions while still pushing for the desalination plant. PAS argued that without a thorough economic feasibility study, the plan cannot proceed as initially envisioned. (The Portugal News)

AZERBAIJAN – ACWA Power is highly interested in developing a desalination project in Azerbaijan to address the country's water challenges, particularly in the Absheron peninsula. The project, initiated by Azerbaijan's State Water Resources Agency and the Ministry of Economy, involves creating a Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant in Sumgayit with a capacity of 300,000 m³/d under a Public-Private Partnership model. ACWA Power, recognized globally for its expertise in desalination, aims to apply its extensive experience and innovations to this project. ACWA Power is eager to contribute to Azerbaijan's water sustainability through this initiative. (Trend news agency)

U.A.E. – The Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE) has launched a new regulatory policy introducing low-carbon water certificates to promote sustainability in the region's water desalination process. The certification system tracks the carbon footprint of emissions from electricity used in desalination, providing transparency across the entire production chain. The policy also highlights the increased use of reverse osmosis technology powered by clean energy, with forecasts showing its usage will rise from 27% in 2022 to nearly 90% by 2030. The DoE will oversee the certification process, while the Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) will manage the trading of these certificates. This initiative aligns with Abu Dhabi's Strategic Initiative for Climate Neutrality 2050, aiming to significantly reduce carbon emissions associated with desalination.  (Smart water magazine)