New Energy - Desalination

Global water scarcity has become a major challenge, mainly due to population growth and urbanization, which have led to a sharp rise in demand for freshwater, of which only 2.5 per cent is available. Through desalination technology, salt and impurities in seawater can be removed and converted into usable fresh water. This article will provide an industry overview of desalination overview, challenges, industry chain, technology and equipment.

High-quality hardware, including reverse osmosis membrane systems and multi-stage flash distillation units, as well as components such as precision machining, corrosion-resistant materials and energy recovery units, are provided by upstream equipment suppliers. Midstream engineering companies are responsible for project design, consultancy and implementation, including civil works, equipment installation and commissioning. Downstream applications such as municipal water supply, industrial water and agricultural irrigation have verified the practical benefits of desalination technology.

The core of seawater desalination technology lies in seawater desalination equipment, of which the two most widely used are reverse osmosis membrane systems and multi-stage flash distillation units.

Reverse osmosis membrane systems filter out salts and impurities by pressurizing seawater so that water molecules pass through a specially designed semi-permeable membrane. This type of equipment is suitable for smaller scale facilities where the treatment of large quantities of water requires the integration of multiple systems. It is characterized by low energy consumption and compact equipment, but the membranes are costly and require periodic replacement.

Multi-stage flash distillation units vaporize seawater by heating it and then remove salts and impurities through multi-stage filtration. This device has high treatment efficiency and produces water of consistent quality, but has high energy consumption and is suitable for municipal and industrial water supply in high-temperature regions such as the Middle East and North Africa.

Electrodialysis device using an electric field and selective ion exchange membrane separation of ions in seawater, suitable for the treatment of low salinity water, energy consumption is relatively low, mainly used for industrial wastewater treatment and water reuse.

Water intake pressurization facilities such as pumping stations and pressure vessels provide the necessary pressure support for the desalination process. There is a wide range of these facilities, which can be adapted to the needs of various desalination processes.

Water purification facilities include filters and sterilizers, which are used to further purify the treated fresh water to meet drinking water standards and enhance water quality. These facilities are used in the final treatment of municipal and industrial water supplies.

According to statistics, there are about 14,000 desalination plants in the world, producing about 36.2 million tons per day. As of October 2022, the world can produce 107.95 million cubic meters of fresh water per day, and the number of desalination plants reaches 22,757. These figures show that the production of desalination projects is increasing year by year, reflecting the rising demand for desalination technology in various countries, and the production is expected to continue to grow in the future.

The application market of seawater desalination engineering is mainly concentrated in the field of drinking water, accounting for about 80%. The main markets are the Middle East and the U.S. Saudi Arabia accounts for 22% of the global total, the U.S. accounts for 15%, Europe accounts for 12%, and the UAE accounts for 11%. The Middle East has a high demand for desalination technology due to the lack of water resources in the region as a result of natural constraints. The Jebel Ali desalination plant in the UAE is the largest in the world and can produce 300 million cubic meters of fresh water per year.

In recent years, new desalination projects have been built in various countries and the number of projects is expected to continue to grow in the coming years.The global desalination industry size was around USD 18.26 billion in 2019 and is expected to rise to USD 26.3 billion by 2025. The market size was approximately USD 19.29 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a compounded growth rate (CAGR) of 8.8% from 2022-2028 to reach a market size of USD 34.6 billion by 2028. Rising urbanization rate and population growth across the globe are the key factors driving the market growth. Climate change, increasing pollution, and water scarcity are also boosting the investment and construction of desalination facilities.

The desalination equipment market is categorized by technology, application, and region. Reverse osmosis membrane technology dominates the global desalination market with more than 70% market share; municipal water supply is the major application area with 60% market share; and MENA is the largest regional market with 30% market share.