TAIWAN – China Technical Consultants Inc. (CTCI) has won a $543 million contract to build a desalination plant in Hsinchu, Taiwan, in collaboration with the Suez Group. The plant, expected to produce 113,300 m3/d, is scheduled for completion in 2028 and will be Taiwan's first large-scale desalination facility. This project is one of eight planned desalination plants prioritized by the Taiwanese government. The plant will supply water for residential and high-tech industrial use in Hsinchu. CTCI will incorporate advanced technologies to minimize environmental impact and enhance the coastal area near Nanliao Fishing Harbor. (Taiwan News)
MOROCCO – Morocco's Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka, reported that the country currently produces 528,767 m3/d of desalinated water, with significant portions allocated for domestic, agricultural, and industrial use. Since the launch of the National Program for Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation 2020-2027, Morocco has inaugurated several new desalination plants, including the Chtouka plant with a 273,972 m3/d capacity and others in Al Hoceima, Dakhla, Safi, and Jorf Lasfar. Future projects, such as the Casablanca plant set for 2026 and the Sidi Ifni unit expected by the end of 2024, will further boost capacity. Baraka emphasized Morocco's use of renewable energy in desalination, highlighting cost efficiencies at various plants. He also mentioned plans to integrate nuclear energy into desalination, aiming to increase the country's desalination capacity tenfold by 2030. (Yabiladi)
U.S.A. – The Marin Municipal Water District is revisiting the potential construction of a desalination plant, analyzing costs under a four-year drought scenario due to limited storage capacity. The cost of water from Sonoma Water is $1.30 per m3, while constructing a desalination plant could range from $273 million to $401 million, with annual operational costs between $13.4 million and $30 million. Staff presented that water from a desalination plant would cost $4.13 per m3 for lower capacity and $2.51 per m3 for higher capacity, but these costs could rise to $8.11-$12.3 per m3 during a drought. The district, serving 191,000 residents, relies on its seven reservoirs for 75% of its water, which can hold up to 64.9 m3. In addition to desalination, the district is exploring other water sources like recycled water and reservoir expansions, considering their costs and benefits for drought resilience. (Marin Independent Journal)
CHILE – Chile had 28 desalination plants operating at the end of last year, primarily serving the mining sector. The public works ministry plans to launch a tender for a desalination plant in Coquimbo to produce 103,680 m3/d for human consumption. Chile's drought over the past decade has highlighted the need to expand desalination to other sectors, such as agriculture. Legal and environmental management for desalination projects is crucial, with changes to water use rights and the desalination bill under discussion to facilitate project development. The economy ministry is also considering reforms to the maritime concessions system to streamline desalination projects, focusing on flexibility and clear deadlines. (BNamericas)
SPAIN – Estepona is progressing with two desalination projects, one for seawater and the other for brackish well water, with portable plants being manufactured in the Canary Islands and Almeria. The seawater desalination units will be housed in containers near the Castor stream, while the brackish water plant will be located near the Padrón River, where pipeline work is already underway. The projects aim to address drought issues, with the seawater plant projected to start operating this summer, producing up to 7,671 m3/d. Funded by local improvement charges, the total budget for these plants is over $4.35 million. The mayor of Estepona aims for the town to achieve water self-sufficiency by 2025, reducing reliance on external water sources. (SUR in English)
Construction site of the brackish desalination plant near the Padron River in Spain. Credit: SUR
INDIA – India’s first desalination-based hydrogen plant is being developed by the Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE) in Visakhapatnam in collaboration with NTPC Limited. The plant, with a capacity of one 1,133 m3/d, is being installed at NTPC Simhadri at a cost of approximately $4.18 million. The project uses the distilled water produced by the desalination plant to generate hydrogen through the electrolysis process. For 1,133 m3 of hydrogen generation, nearly 11,330 m3 water are required. To produce this desalinated water, 339,900 m3 of seawater are needed. From that, 11,330-13,596 m3/d is used to produce 1,133 m3 of hydrogen, which will be stored at the NTPC’s facility. The project began in January 2024 and is expected to be operational by February 2025, though it will use electricity from the power plant rather than renewable sources. The desalination-based method is environmentally beneficial compared to conventional hydrogen production methods, as it uses waste heat and produces no carbon emissions. (The Times of India)
CYPRUS – The government of Cyprus has approved a $382.5 million supplementary budget for 2024 to address needs in desalination, medical supplies, defense, and education. Finance Minister Makis Keravnos highlighted the main expenditures, including $63.15 million allocated for desalinated water to mitigate drought-induced shortages in water supply and irrigation. This budget aims to address critical areas impacted by recent challenges. The approval reflects the government's commitment to maintaining essential services and infrastructure. (CyprusMail)
MISCELLANEOUS – MediSun Energy and SK ENF have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on developing sustainable and efficient brine treatment solutions for the desalination industry. This partnership aims to integrate SK ENF's Magnesium Mineral Carbonation Technology with MediSun's Reverse Electrodialysis (RED) technology to address the high energy consumption and environmental impact of traditional brine disposal methods. The combined technology captures CO2 and converts desalination brine into valuable resources like magnesium carbonate, enhancing RED efficiency and contributing to carbon neutrality. The collaboration includes technical assessments, feasibility studies, and pilot plants to validate the technology's effectiveness and economic viability. Both companies express strong commitment to advancing sustainable desalination practices and achieving net-zero carbon emissions while enabling additional revenue through brine mining. (Chemanalyst)