MUMBAI – To alleviate water scarcity in Thane the Mumbai Metropolitan Region will soon launch a desalination pilot project.^[1]  The facility will desalinate 20,000 cubic metres of brackish water from Vasai Creek, and discharge brine into the stream after diluting it with water from the Kopri sewage treatment plant.  The Thane Municipal Corporation has organized the project as a public-private partnership, and allocated a site for the plant in Kalwa, in the outskirts of Mumbai.^[2]

The company is also in the process of establishing a desalination facility in Nagla, along the border of Mumbai and Thane. The plant will produce 200,000 cubic metres of water per day.

PHILIPPINES – The Development Bank of the Philippines has provided a $10 million loan to Mactan Rock Industries to increase its production of desalinated water.^[3]  The project will expand existing facilities in Mactan Economic Zones 1 and 2 as well as the Mactan-Cebu International airport.  It is expected that demand for desalination in the country will increase along with the development of industry and tourism sectors.

^{The Mumbai Metro Region   Credit: Desalination.biz}

U.S.A. –  In Chula Vista, California, a $42 million-dollar expansion will double the capacity of the Richards A. Reynolds Groundwater Desalination Facility.^[4]  After work is completed, the plant will desalinate 10 million gallons of brackish groundwater per day for residents of San Diego, Chula Vista, National City, and Bonita.

EGYPT – LG Chem will provide reverse osmosis membranes for Egypt’s largest desalination plant.^[5]  The company is reportedly increasing its sales of reverse osmosis membranes in China, India, and the Middle East. Meanwhile, last year, Sohar SWRO selected LG Water Solutions to supply membranes for its facility in Oman. The company has also provided services for facilities in Korea, Brazil, the United States, and Saudi Arabia.

U.A.E. –  A recent study led by the Masdar Institute suggests that wind power rather than fossil fuel could cut the cost of producing desalinated water in the country.  The project was carried out with the German firm, Synlift Industrial Products and Canada’s INRS University.^[6]  Researchers found that wind-powered reverse osmosis generated costs of $1.57-2.11 per cubic metre; while existing thermal desalination that is powered by fossil fuel generates costs of $2.80 per cubic metre.

Meanwhile, the IDE is set to return to Dubai for its World Congress in 2019—ten years after its first meeting there in 2009.  Dubai Electricity & Water Authority will host the event. 

By 2030, the UAE is set is set to increase its current desalination capacity of 2.1 cubic metres per day by 60 percent.