The global water desalination market is one of the rapidly growing water and wastewater treatment industries globally. Water desalination involves removing excess salt and minerals from saline water or seawater, making it suitable for various domestic and industrial purposes. There has been a significant increase in the demand for desalinated water, as freshwater resources are depleting rapidly while the global population and industries are growing exponentially. Water desalination helps address water scarcity issues and provides an alternative source of freshwater. Reverse osmosis (RO) is the most widely used desalination technology currently, as it is energy-efficient and cost-effective compared to other methods.
The Global water desalination market is estimated to be valued at US$ 31.32 Bn in 2024 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 8.7% over the forecast period 2024 to 2031.
Key Takeaways
Key players operating in the global water desalination market are Acciona, Biwater Holdings Limited, Aquatech International LLC, IDE Technologies, Veolia Water Technologies, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, Genesis Water Technologies, SUEZ Group, Aqua Filsep Inc., Hatenboer-water, Triveni Engineering & Industries Ltd., Webuild Group, Barka Desalination Company, Fluence Corporation Limited, and Marine Water Production AS. These players are focusing on facility expansions and new product launches to enhance their market presence.
The Global Water Desalination Market Trends increased technological advancements in water desalination processes and growing private sector investments present significant opportunities in the market. Several large seawater desalination plants are being commissioned globally to meet the increasing freshwater needs of various industries and population centers.
North America, Europe, the Middle East, China, and Australia are major markets for water desalination globally. However, countries in Africa and Asia Pacific are expected to emerge as high growth regional markets over the forecast period, owing to rising freshwater scarcity levels. Large desalination projects are being planned and initiated across countries to ensure long-term water security.
Market Drivers:
- Increasing demand for freshwater from expanding industries and growing population is a key factor fueling the water desalination market growth. Industries such as oil & gas, mining, power, etc. require large amounts of desalinated water.
- Severe water scarcity issues in many parts of the world due to declining precipitation levels, groundwater depletion, and irregular rainfall patterns are boosting the adoption of desalination technology for addressing long-term freshwater requirements.
Market Restrains:
- High capital and energy costs associated with water desalination plants remain a major challenge, especially for small-scale and municipal applications. This hinders widespread adoption of the technology.
- Improper disposal of highly saline brine discharge from desalination plants can cause marine habitat degradation and environmental pollution if not properly treated before outflow. Strict environmental regulations pose compliance difficulties.
Segment Analysis
The global water desalination market is dominated by Reverse Osmosis (RO) technology segment, accounting for over 70% of total market share. RO is the most energy efficient and commercially accepted water desalination technique. Its membranes allow separation of dissolved salts from seawater under high pressure. Advancements in membrane designs have improved RO performance significantly over years in terms of permeability and rejection efficiency. With desalination increasingly relied upon to meet rising demand for fresh water, RO segment is expected to continue its dominance over the forecast period backed by cost effectiveness and rising installation rates in both large scale as well as small scale plants.
Global Analysis
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region dominates the global water desalination market, constituting over half of the total capacity in 2024. Driven by scarcity of natural sources of fresh water along with rising population and urbanization levels, many countries in the MENA region depend greatly on desalination for domestic and industrial water needs. Within MENA, GCC countries including Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates are the largest consumers globally. In addition, Asia Pacific region is projected to exhibit strongest growth during the forecast period with countries such as China, India and Australia exploring desalination aggressively to manage water stress. North America and Europe also contribute significantly to global market though growth rates are relatively slower compared to MENA and Asia Pacific regions. Key global players are increasingly focusing on expanding presence in fast growing regional markets to tap high growth opportunities.
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