Water Desalination Market Analysis

Global Water Desalination Market Overview

Water Desalination Market Size was valued at USD 15.33 billion in 2021. The Water Desalination market is projected to grow from USD 16.84 billion in 2022 to USD 33.38 billion by 2030, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.93% during the forecast period (2023 - 2030). Increasing global population is expected to drive demand for water for largely consumption purposes which is expected to drive demand for water desalination plants to continue providing adequate water supply. Also, the expanding industrial sector is extensively dependent on water for various major production activities or supportive systems that improve efficiency, at the same time increasing practices or wastewater treatment and reuse of water is expected to drive growth of water desalination market.

Source: Secondary Research, Primary Research, MRFR Database and Analyst Review

Water Desalination Market Trends

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  Growing demand for clean water for consumption

  
  

With the growing population there is also a rising demand for clean water for consumption, however with depleting fresh water sources, the supply availability has decreased drastically over the years. The world is expected to face a water crisis, as it is predicted that by the end of 2030, the demand for fresh water will exceed the supply by about 40%.  According to the publications of National Intelligence Council, by 2050, global clean water use is expected to rise by 20 to 50 percent beyond present levels, with industrial and home sectors expanding the quickest. Agriculture will continue to be the greatest overall consumer of water, although the proportional rise to 2050 will most likely be less than that of other industries. Hence, water desalination is emerging as the leading solution to repurpose available water into clean drinking water and meet the increasing demand for clean water for consumption.

According to Statista data, it is projected that the global water demand will reach about 4,350 billion cubic meters by 2040, in terms of withdrawal. Water withdrawal refers to the total amount of water removed from a surface or groundwater source. Measurements of this extracted water aid in assessing demand from household, industrial, and agricultural users, hence over the years the clean water demand is expected to catapult significantly. Increasing demand for clean and safe drinking water, especially in emerging countries, along with ineffective water management is a major factor contributing to use of water desalination systems. While in arid regions with dry conditions are extensively dependent on desalination with further rise of water demand in these regions. There is a relatively higher reliance expected on seawater desalination plants to meet the basic need of fresh and clean water for consumption during the forecast period in these regions. According to the International Desalination Association more than 300 million people now depend on desalination plants for receiving water. As of 2020, There are roughly 16,876 active desalination plants in the globe, approximately 270 under development, and about 3825 offline units, and this number is expected to continue to increase over the forecast period as various governments undertake new desalination projects. As a result, Water Desalination market revenue expansion is anticipated to be fueled by growing demand for clean water for consumption.

Water Desalination Market Segment Insights

Water Desalination Source Insights

The global water desalination market segmentation, based on source, includes seawater, brackish water, surface water (river and streams), wastewater and others. The seawater segment held the majority share in 2022 contributing to around ~30-35% with respect to the global water desalination market revenue. The broad range of applications for water in various applications of the households as well as the industrial sector are driving demand for water which is purified and desalinated from seawater. The vast availability of water from the sea makes it a reliable source to produce water for meeting the growing needs in the market.

Water Desalination Technology Insights

Based on technology, the global water desalination segmentation includes membrane technology (reverse osmosis, electrodialysis, electrodialysis reversal, membrane distillation, nanofiltration and other membrane technology) and thermal technology (multi-stage flash distillation, multi-effect distillation and vapor compression distillation). The membrane technology segment dominated the market in 2022 and is expected to continue to dominate the market during the forecast period. Throughout the predicted period, this tendency is expected to persist. The reverse osmosis and nanofiltration, under the membrane technology are the leading pressure driven processes used.

Water Desalination Application Insights

The global water desalination market data has been bifurcated by end use largely into municipal, industrial and others. The municipal segment dominated the market in 2022 however, with increasing economic development the industrial segment is projected to be the fastest-growing segment during the forecast period, 2023-2030. The need for wastewater treatment and higher use of water for increasing production capacities in various industries is expected to drive market demand. Gas turbines in the power generation industry are driven by the rising demand for electricity. Over the projection period, this market sector is anticipated to experience a sizable CAGR.

Figure 2: Water Desalination Market, by Application, 2022 & 2030 (USD Million)

Source: Secondary Research, Primary Research, MRFR Database and Analyst Review

Water Desalination Regional Insights

By Region, the global Water Desalination market industry study segments the market into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and South America. Middle East & Africa water desalination Market accounted for USD 4.07 billion in 2022 and is expected to exhibit a 8.63% CAGR during the study period. This is attributed to the presence of emerging nations in the region and growing natural gas consumption.

Figure 3: Water Desalination Market Share By Region 2022-2030 (%)

Source: Secondary Research, Primary Research, MRFR Database and Analyst Review

Middle East & Africa Water Desalination Market is driven by low availability of water which makes them highly dependent on water desalination to meet the demand for inhabitants’ consumption. The arid and dry weather conditions further impact water availability in the region leading to higher use of seawater desalination. The UAE water desalination market is expensively relied on for water supply in the region. The UAE gets about 90% of its drinking water from desalination. In the Africa water desalination market large-scale projects are being undertaken to provide water. In 2023, the Morocco government announced launch of three seawater desalination projects in El Jadida, Safi and the Oriental region. These are expected to increase water production by about 1 billion cubic meters by 2030.

In the Asia-Pacific water desalination market the increasing population growth is the main factor leading to an increase in demand for water desalination. Particularly the China water desalination market and India water desalination market are leading to the growth of the market in the region. With high population, growing industries and decreased water availability there is a growing reliance on water desalination systems to meet the rising demand. China, with the world's biggest population, has pushed the development of desalination and multifunctional seawater utilization further in terms of materials, technology, and services, among other things. China has been focused on recent years to growing the scale of plants as well.

While the Europe water desalination market is expected to get boost as the government initiatives due to increasing concerns over climate change and increasing sustainability in the economy. Desalination of brackish and saltwater is increasing in northern nations such as the Netherlands and Belgium as a result of climate change. Due to the severe drought, agriculture and drinking water firms are looking for other freshwater sources. In the North America water desalination market, the bulk of municipal desalination facilities are situated in three states: Florida (40%), California (14%), and Texas (13%). With growing concerns on available water levels, all regions globally are expected to witness an increasing adoption of water desalination projects of various scales over the forecast period.

Water Desalination Key Market Players & Competitive Insights

Major market players are spending extensively on R&D to increase their product lines, which will help industrial water treatment grow even more. Market participants are also taking a range of strategic initiatives to grow their worldwide footprint, including new product launches, contractual agreements, mergers and acquisitions, increased investments, and collaboration with other organizations. Competitors in the water desalination Industry are expanding their market presence globally as the market is expected to boom in the future.

Veolia group (Veolia) is a French corporation that offers a variety of water, energy, and materials solutions, with an emphasis on waste recovery, in order to encourage the transition to a circular economy. The firm develops and implements specialized solutions to deliver, protect, and renew resources while boosting their environmental, economic, and social efficiency. Veolia Water Technologies is a division of the Veolia company and the world's top water treatment expert. The firm specializes in the design and delivery of drinking water or wastewater treatment facilities, as well as smaller standardized water treatment equipment for industrial or municipal clients.

Suez Group is a provider of environmental management solutions. Its service offering comprises water distribution and treatment services such as the production and delivery of drinking water, water cycle management, wastewater treatment and reuse, and water control. Sorting and dismantling, collecting and logistics, sanitation, non-hazardous and hazardous waste landfilling, and urban development services are all part of the company's recycling and waste recovery services. Suez services the food and beverage, chemical and pharmaceutical, construction, site deconstruction and soil decontamination, mining and metals, oil & gas, refining and petrochemical, power, pulp and paper, healthcare, retail, automotive, transportation and aviation industries.

Key Companies in the Water Desalination Market include:

• Acciona (Spain)


• Biwater Holdings Limited (UK)


• Aquatech International LLC (US)


• IDE Technologies (Israel)


• Veolia Water Technologies (France)


• Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction (South Korea)


• Genesis Water Technologies (US)


• SUEZ Group (France)


• Aqua Filsep Inc. (India)


• Hatenboer-water (Netherlands)

Water Desalination Industry Developments

October 2023 -A prominent supplier of solar-powered seawater and brackish water desalination solutions, OSMOSUN®, on October 23^rd discloses the creation of OSMOSUN MA in Morocco, an equal-stake joint venture together with Moroccan industrial group PCS. The commercial and industrial collaboration is absolutely in line with OSMOSUN's deployment strategy across West and North Africa, a precedence region for the group.

In conjunction with some of its partners, Adolphe Merkle Institute (AMI) researchers in June 2024 have devised a state-of-the-art technique to produce thin membranes that convert energy the way biological cell ones do. This discovery could be significant for areas such as desalination and implantable artificial electric organs.

Nemmeli is near Chennai, where the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M K Stalin, inaugurated a desalination plant in February 2024.

Assistant Professor Jovan Kamcev leads a project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI) in April 2023.

During President Emmanuel Macron's official visit to China on April 5-7th, 2023, these parties signed an agreement including SUEZ; Wanhua Chemical Group (Wanhua), which is based in China; and China Railway Shanghai Engineering Bureau Group (CRSH), for seawater desalination industrial use application.

This was through a special purpose vehicle developed by Marubeni Corporation together with Transelec Holdings Rentas Limitada who, were well-known power transmission firm in Chile, established a desalination and water transmission venture for Corporación Nacional del Cobre de Chile in March 2023.

The BMC’s desalination plant project, according to Municipal Commissioner and administrator Chahal, would be around Manori, while the work order is likely issued by August, probably in February 2023. When the tender is finalized, bids will be called for on an internationally competitive basis.

August 2022: ACCIONA has been granted the design and construction of a seawater desalination plant in Collahuasi's Patache Port, approximately 70 kilometers south of Iquique in Chile's Tarapacá region. For the next two years, the business will be in charge of the plant's operation and maintenance, which has a capacity of 1,050 liters per second.

April 2022: Veolia Water Technologies, a Veolia group business and leading water treatment provider, announces the Asia Pacific launch of the Barrel, an integrated plug-and-play reverse osmosis (RO) technology.

January 2022: Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction signed a memorandum of understanding on a seawater desalination project in Egypt, marking the company's debut into the desalination sector in Egypt. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed with Hassan Allam, a major Egyptian developer and large-scale construction firm, and Almar Water Solutions, a company founded through a Saudi Arabia-Spain joint venture, to collaborate on a reverse osmosis (RO) seawater desalination project.

Water Desalination Market Segmentation

Water Desalination Source Outlook (USD Million, 2019-2030)

• Seawater


• Brackish Water


• Surface Water (River and Streams)


• Wastewater


• Others

Water Desalination Technology Outlook (USD Million, 2019-2030)

• Membrane Technology
  
  
  
  • Reverse Osmosis (RO)
  
  
  • Electrodialysis
  
  
  • Electrodialysis Reversal
  
  
  • Membrane Distillation
  
  
  
  


• Nanofiltration
  
  
  
  • Other Membrane Technology
  
  
  • Thermal Technology
  
  
  • Multi-stage Flash Distillation
  
  
  • Multi-effect Distillation
  
  
  • Vapor Compressor Distillation
  
  
  
  

Water Desalination Drying Application Outlook (USD Million, 2019-2030)

• Municipal


• Industrial


• Others

Water Desalination Regional Outlook

• North America
  
  
  
  • US
  
  
  • Canada
  
  
  
  


• Mexico
  
  
  
  • Europe
  
  
  • Germany
  
  
  • France
  
  
  • UK
  
  
  • Italy
  
  
  • Spain
  
  
  • Rest of Europe
  
  
  
  


• Asia-Pacific
  
  
  
  • China
  
  
  • Japan
  
  
  • India
  
  
  • Australia
  
  
  • South Korea
  
  
  • Rest of Asia-Pacific
  
  
  
  


• Middle East & Africa
  
  
  
  • Turkey
  
  
  • Israel
  
  
  • North Africa
  
  
  • GCC
  
  
  • Rest of the Middle East & Africa
  
  
  
  


• South America
  
  
  
  • Brazil
  
  
  • Argentina
  
  
  • Rest of South America