Global Water Desalination Market Overview, 2024-29

Global Water Desalination Market Overview, 2024-29

In recent years, the global water desalination market has seen an intense transformation, fueled by an intensifying water shortage, population increases, and the need for resilient water supply systems. The market has traditionally been centered in water-scarce countries such as the Middle East, but it has grown globally, with regions like North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific adopting desalination technologies to supplement their freshwater resources. The industry's expansion is being driven by technological advancements, particularly in reverse osmosis (RO) and membrane technologies, which have made desalination more energy-efficient and economically viable. The market's growth is driven by rising demand for freshwater in urbanized regions where traditional water sources are limited. Rapid urbanization, combined with an increase in industrial activity, has increased the reliance on desalination as a strategic solution to fulfill the expanding water needs of municipalities and industry. Governments around the world are recognizing the value of desalination in ensuring water security and are actively investing in projects and initiatives to alleviate water scarcity issues. This has resulted in a rise in public-private partnerships and joint attempts to speed up the development of desalination infrastructure. In the coming years, the worldwide water desalination market is expected to expand and innovate. As the globe faces the consequences of climate change and the constraints of conventional water sources, desalination is positioned as a critical solution to ensure water security for burgeoning populations. The industry's trajectory is marked by a commitment to sustainability, ongoing technological advancements, and the collaboration of governments, private entities, and research institutions in navigating the complex waters of global water scarcity.

According to the research report, “Global Water Desalination Market Overview, 2024-2029” published by Bonafide Research, the market is anticipated to cross USD 36.50 Billion by 2029, increasing from USD 21.50 Billion in 2023. The market is expected to grow with 9.43% CAGR by 2024-29. Government initiatives and investments have also contributed to the expansion of the global water desalination industry. Many countries are investing considerably in desalination plants to secure a consistent and dependable water supply for their citizens. Public-private partnerships and collaborations between governments and desalination corporations have facilitated the construction of large-scale desalination plants. The geographical distribution of the global water desalination market displays a concentration of activities in areas with severe water shortages. The Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel, have led desalination initiatives. Given the arid climate and limited freshwater supplies, many countries rely extensively on desalination to supply a large amount of their freshwater needs. In addition, regions including North Africa, Australia, and parts of Asia are also witnessing increased adoption of desalination technologies to address their water scarcity challenges. The industrial sector has emerged as a major consumer of desalinated water, contributing substantially to the market's growth. Industries such as power generation, petrochemicals, and mining require large volumes of water, and desalination provides a reliable source to meet their process water needs. The technology's applications extend beyond freshwater production for human consumption to various industrial processes, emphasizing its versatility and broad market appeal. In recent years, advancements in renewable energy integration with desalination processes have gained attention. Integrating renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, into desalination plants helps reduce the environmental impact associated with conventional energy-intensive desalination methods. This trend aligns with global efforts to promote sustainable practices and reduce carbon emissions in various industries.

Market Drivers
• Industrial demand for process water: The industrial sector has emerged as a major driver of the worldwide water desalination industry, with industries including power generation, petrochemicals, and mining requiring large volumes of water for their operations. Desalination provides a continuous and dependable source of high-quality process water, minimizing the need for freshwater from conventional sources. As companies expand and global demand for their products rises, the requirement for desalination as a long-term water supply option grows, propelling the total desalination industry.
• Climate change and drought conditions: Droughts are becoming more frequent and severe as a result of climate change, which has a substantial impact on the worldwide water desalination business. Changes in precipitation patterns and extended drought conditions have put a strain on traditional water sources, raising concerns about their vulnerability. Desalination becomes a vital solution during times of water constraints caused by climate-related issues. Desalination is seen as a stable and drought-resistant supply of freshwater in regions with erratic rainfall and lengthy droughts, which drives market expansion in these climate-affected areas.

Market Challenges
• Environmental impact of brine disposal: The disposal of brine, a by-product of desalination, presents a significant environmental concern. Brine comprises concentrated salts and other compounds that are extracted from saltwater during the desalination process. Discharging brine back into marine environments without sufficient treatment can kill marine life and disturb nearby ecosystems. Mitigating the environmental impact of brine disposal necessitates the development of effective brine management solutions, such as brine concentration technology, appropriate discharge procedures, and research into beneficial reuse options. Addressing these environmental concerns is critical to ensuring the long-term viability of desalination facilities and avoiding negative impacts on coastal ecosystems.
• Competition with alternative water sources: Desalination competes with alternate water sources, such as water recycling and better water management methods, to address water scarcity. It is critical to assess desalination's economic viability and environmental impact in comparison to other options. Integrated water resource management strategies that take into account a variety of water sources, including desalination, can provide a more comprehensive and sustainable solution to fulfilling water demands. Finding the correct balance between different water supply choices necessitates strategic planning and collaboration among water authorities, governments, and environmental organizations.

Market Trends
• Technological innovations in membrane technologies: Recent advances in membrane technology are significantly improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of desalination processes. Enhanced membrane materials, such as graphene-based membranes and nanocomposites materials, are being developed to increase salt rejection rates and minimize energy consumption in reverse osmosis systems. These inventions aim to address long-standing issues such as membrane fouling and performance degradation, making desalination more reliable and economically viable. As these technologies evolve, they are projected to have a significant impact on the future landscape of the water desalination market.
• Growing interest in brackish water desalination: While saltwater desalination has received much attention, there is rising interest in desalinating brackish water as an alternate water supply. Brackish water desalination includes treating water with lower salinity levels than seawater, and it often uses less energy than seawater desalination. This technique is gaining hold in areas with abundant brackish water resources, providing a more sustainable and cost-effective solution for freshwater production. The study of brackish water desalination is part of a larger strategy to diversify water supply sources and improve the energy efficiency of desalination operations.

Covid-19 Impacts

The COVID-19 epidemic has had varying effects on the global water desalination sector. While the pandemic's early stages disrupted supply chains, delayed project timetables, and caused a short stop in new investments, the later stages saw a recovery in interest and hastened adoption of desalination technologies. The growing awareness of the necessity of dependable water sources for cleanliness and public health, along with a greater understanding of the vulnerability of traditional water resources, has prompted governments and companies to emphasize water security. As countries recover from the epidemic, the global water desalination industry is gaining traction, with a greater emphasis on resilient water infrastructure and long-term solutions to the challenges posed by water scarcity and climate change.

In terms of technology segment market is bifurcated into reverse osmosis, multi-stage flash (MSF) distillation, multi-effect distillation (MED) and others. Reverse osmosis technology is expected to grow at fastest rate in global water desalination market.

Scalability and modularity are key features of reverse osmosis systems, making them ideal for incorporation into a variety of settings and applications. RO systems' modularity allows for fast deployment and capacity adjustment based on a region's or community's individual requirements. This adaptability is critical for tackling varied water scarcity concerns, ranging from small-scale community projects to large-scale industrial applications. RO technology's versatility and scalability make it ideal for a variety of water desalination applications, leading to its expected rapid growth. RO's ability to scale operations efficiently makes it an appealing alternative for both densely populated urban areas with high water demand and distant places experiencing water scarcity. The versatility of reverse osmosis contributes to its increasing popularity. RO was originally created for seawater desalination, but it has proven effective in treating brackish water, making it a versatile solution for places with varying salinities. This adaptability makes RO an enticing alternative for countries dealing with a variety of water issues, allowing the technology to be applied in a number of geographic and environmental contexts. Furthermore, ongoing advancements and innovations in RO membrane technology have improved performance and durability, resulting in increased market share. These advances have resulted in improved water recovery rates, less fouling, and longer membrane lifespans, all of which contribute to the overall cost-effectiveness and reliability of RO-based desalination facilities.

Based on source segment market includes sea water, brackish water, surface water (rivers & streams), wastewater and others. Brackish water source segment is expected to grow at fastest rate globally. Based on application segment market includes municipal, industrial and others. Industrial application is expected to grow at rapid pace in Global water desalination market.

Brackish water resources are more plentiful and evenly distributed. Brackish water is found in estuaries, inland aquifers, and some surface water basins. Brackish water is a more accessible and decentralized water supply for desalination operations because it is available in a variety of locations. As water scarcity problems grow worldwide, the use of brackish water provides an additional and sustainable approach for freshwater production. In general, desalinating brackish water uses less energy than desalinating seawater. Brackish water has lower salinity levels, which reduces the osmotic pressure that must be overcome during the desalination process. This property leads to lower energy usage, making brackish water desalination a more energy-efficient choice. As energy efficiency becomes an important aspect in selecting desalination methods, the lower energy requirements of treating brackish water contribute to the growth of this segment. Industries, particularly those in the power generation, petrochemical, mining, and manufacturing sectors, frequently require large amounts of water to operate. As worldwide industrial activity expands, so does the demand for water to support diverse processes, cooling systems, and manufacturing requirements. Water desalination is a dependable and sustainable solution for meeting the increasing water demands of industrial applications, resulting in the rapid growth of this market segment. Industries are frequently concentrated in areas with limited water supplies or face competing demands from other industries. Water shortages are a major concern for industrial operations, and desalination provides a potential alternative to assure a continuous and safe water supply. In water-scarce areas with a high concentration of industry, the need for desalinated water becomes pronounced, driving the rapid growth of desalination in industrial applications.

Report includes five major regions North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America and Middle East & Africa. Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow at fastest rate in global water desalination market.

The Asia-Pacific region has a rapidly rising population and substantial urbanization trends. As cities grow, so does the demand for fresh water for domestic, industrial, and agricultural purposes. Water scarcity becomes a major concern, particularly in densely populated urban areas. Desalination is an important method to address the rising water demand in these fast-developing and urbanizing areas. Climate variability, shifting precipitation patterns, and over-extraction of groundwater are among the factors causing water scarcity in many Asia-Pacific countries. As existing water sources become stressed, there is a greater need to investigate alternative water supply options. Desalination provides a dependable and sustainable method to supplement water resources in areas experiencing water scarcity, making it a crucial driver for market growth in the region. The Asia-Pacific region is seeing strong economic growth and industrial expansion. Manufacturing, electricity production, and petrochemical industries, all of which require large amounts of water, are growing in the region. The industrial sector's rising water demand opens up potential for desalination projects to provide a steady and secure water supply, hence boosting the region's economic development and industrialization. Many Asia-Pacific countries have long coasts that provide easy access to seawater. Coastal areas are ideal for developing saltwater desalination facilities, which reduces the logistical challenges of delivering water across long distances. This strategic geographic advantage makes desalination a realistic and geographically appropriate solution to coastal water scarcity.

The competitive landscape of the worldwide water desalination market is defined by the existence of prominent industry players who are actively engaged in technological breakthroughs, strategic alliances, and geographic growth. Companies are constantly investing in R&D to improve desalination methods and increase energy efficiency. The market also sees significant participation from regional firms, particularly in the Middle East, where water shortages are serious. Furthermore, public-private partnerships and government initiatives play an important role in creating competitive dynamics as several countries seek to address water security concerns through desalination plants. The pursuit of sustainable practices, cost-effective solutions, and developments in membrane technology are all important elements affecting competitiveness as companies compete for a substantial portion of the growing global water desalination industry.
• October 2023: Xylem Inc. launches a pilot project for a solar-powered desalination plant in California.
• In October 2023, MIT engineers developed a compact and low-cost desalination device that can facilitate states enduring water deficits to procure drinkable water. The device makes seawater into drinking water by utilizing solar energy.
• On 03 March 2022, Egypt's cabinet announced that Saudi Arabia's Abdul Latif Jameel Energy & Environmental Services and Hassan Allam Holding had submitted an offer to build a huge desalination plant capable of generating around 2.9 million cubic meters of water per day by 2030.
• DuPont launched a new biofouling prevention solution for reverse osmosis installations on March 30, 2021, to decrease operational expenses while increasing plant uptime and dependability. DuPont intends to demonstrate innovative leadership and dedication to solving client water concerns with this new patent-pending solution.

Considered in this report
• Historic year: 2018
• Base year: 2023
• Estimated year: 2024
• Forecast year: 2029

Aspects covered in this report
• Water Desalination market Outlook with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By Technology
• Reverse Osmosis (RO)
• Multi-Stage Flash (MSF) Distillation
• Multi-Effect Distillation (MED)
• Others

By Source
• Sea Water
• Brackish Water
• Surface Water (Rivers & Streams)
• Wastewater
• Others (Industrial Process Water, Produced Water, Agricultural Runoff, Mining Effluents, Highly Saline Springs or Wells, Landfill Leachate, Tailings Pond Water)

By Application
• Municipal
• Industrial
• Others

The approach of the report:

This report consists of a combined approach of primary and secondary research. Initially, secondary research was used to get an understanding of the market and list the companies that are present in it. The secondary research consists of third-party sources such as press releases, annual reports of companies, and government-generated reports and databases. After gathering the data from secondary sources, primary research was conducted by conducting telephone interviews with the leading players about how the market is functioning and then conducting trade calls with dealers and distributors of the market. Post this; we have started making primary calls to consumers by equally segmenting them in regional aspects, tier aspects, age group, and gender. Once we have primary data with us, we can start verifying the details obtained from secondary sources.

Intended audience

This report can be useful to industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations, and organizations related to the Water Desalination industry, government bodies, and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing and presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.

***Please Note: It will take 48 hours (2 Business days) for delivery of the report upon order confirmation.