Seawater desalination is an effective means of combating water stress in arid coastal areas. It is a high potential solution since 40% of the world's population lives within 100 km of the sea and 25% within 25 km. Desalination is also a suitable means of providing drinking water in areas where natural resources are subject to salinization effects (rivers, estuaries, inland or underground brackish water, etc.).
According to the International Water Association, fresh water produced from seawater desalination currently meets about 1% of global requirements.
However, in the Mediterranean basin, California, the Gulf countries, Australia, South Africa, etc. the water supply of nearly 300 million people in the world depends on it.
For these regions desalination is an issue that impacts public health, territorial dynamism, and even economic development.
The desalination market is now mainly municipal. However, an increasing number of industrial companies are using these technologies, even though these facilities still have less capacity than plants specifically producing drinking water.
Who are our customers ?
Local authorities and industry
The Veolia Solution
Veolia supports municipalities and industries throughout the world in the implementation of appropriate desalination strategies. There are two technological possibilities for desalination: distillation (known as thermal desalination) or membrane. These two processes can be combined in what are known as hybrid plants. Veolia is the only player in the world to master this expertise.
The water is first collected at sea, before undergoing several filtration stages prior to the desalination process.
Veolia supports municipalities and industries throughout the world in the implementation of appropriate desalination strategies. There are two technological possibilities for desalination: distillation (known as thermal desalination) or membrane. These two processes can be combined in what are known as hybrid plants. Veolia is the only player in the world to master this expertise.
The water is first collected at sea, before undergoing several filtration stages prior to the desalination process.
→ In thermal desalination, the salt and the water are separated during several evaporation cycles.
→ In membrane desalination the filtration uses reverse osmosis, which consists of pushing the water under high pressure through a membrane which retains up to 95 % of the salt particles and 99 % of the impurities.
The desalinated water finally undergoes various post-treatment phases during which it is re-mineralized and disinfected.
With a total treatment capacity of approximately 13 million m3 of water per day at more than 2,300 sites in 108 countries across the world, Veolia is the world leader in desalination.
With a total treatment capacity of approximately 13 million m3 of water per day at more than 2,300 sites in 108 countries across the world, Veolia is the world leader in desalination.
Benefits for our customers
Exploiting an inexhaustible resource
Enabling and securing access to water resources
Improving public health
Focus Innovation
A hybrid desalination plant in Fujairah
Veolia built the Qidfa desalination plant in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, which produces 590,000 m3 / day of desalinated water. The Group thus responds to the population’s growing need for freshwater and contributes to the region’s development. The originality of the project lies in the combination of the two principal desalination processes: distillation and membrane treatment.
They chose this solution
Kazakhstan
In November 2015, Veolia signed a memorandum of understanding with a Kazakh investment company for the joint implementation of a seawater desalination plant on the Caspian Sea coast. Located in Aktau, this new facility will have a capacity of 125,000 m3 per day and will provide water to industrial sites and the population of Aktau and Zhanaozen, the two main towns in the Manguistaou region.
Kuwait
The Az Zour South plant is the second largest seawater desalination plant in Kuwait operating by reverse osmosis. With a treatment capacity of 136,450 m3 of water per day, this plant has a particularity - the seawater is pre-heated using the waste energy coming from a nearby power station, which produces significant electricity savings for the plant.