Water Desalination Plant Equipment Market Size, Share and Trends 2024 to 2034

Water Desalination Plant Equipment Market Size and Forecast 2024 to 2034

The global water desalination plant equipment market size accounted for USD 41.95 billion in 2024 and is expected to exceed around USD 109.42 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 10.06% from 2024 to 2034. The demand for the water desalination plant equipment market is rising due to the depletion of water sources, which is leading to the need for alternative sources.

Water Desalination Plant Equipment Market Key Takeaways

• Middle East and Africa (MEA) dominated the global water desalination plant equipment market with the largest market share of 50% in 2023.
• Asia Pacific is anticipated to stand out as an opportunistic region during the forecast period.
• China is expected to expand at a double-digit CAGR of 11.53% during the forecast period.
• By equipment, the desalination device segment contributed the largest market share of 45% in 2023.
• By equipment, the post-processing system segment is anticipated to grow at a significant CAGR of 11.55% during the forecast period.
• By source, the brackish water source segment accounted for the biggest market share of 28% in 2023.
• By source, the seawater segment is projected to grow at a notable CAGR of 10.25% during the forecast period.
• By application, the municipal application segment recorded the highest market share of 51% in 2023.
• By application, the industrial segment is expected to grow at a solid CAGR of 10.34% over the forecast period.
• By production capacity, the above 1,500 m3/hr segment has held the biggest market share of 44% in 2023.

Middle East and Africa Water Desalination Plant Equipment Market Size and Growth 2024 to 2034

The Middle East and Africa water desalination plant equipment market size is exhibited at USD 20.98 billion in 2024 and is anticipated to be worth around USD 55.26 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 10.16% from 2024 to 2034.

Middle East and Africa (MEA) dominated the global water desalination plant equipment market in 2023. The region's dominance is attributed to water scarcity in countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This attracts investment in the adoption of desalination plants, which brings many opportunities for solution providers. Additionally, urbanization plays an opportunistic role.

Asia Pacific is anticipated to stand out as an opportunistic region during the forecast period of 2024 to 2034. The water desalination plant equipment market is witnessing significant growth due to rapid urbanization and industrialization in countries like India, China, and Japan. These factors have raised the demand for freshwater, which has attracted several investments in desalination plants. 

Market Overview

Water desalination plant equipment refers to machines and systems that are used to remove salt and other impurities which can be made suitable for consumption and other uses. The water desalination plant equipment market is growing efficiently due to the rising water scarcity caused by harsh weather conditions. This leads to the use of multiple methods like reverse osmosis, which uses equipment to draw seawater into the plants, which can further remove the impurities throughout the whole process.

How Does AI Help in the Water Desalination Plant Equipment Market?

The emergence of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are playing a crucial role in improving the water desalination plant equipment market. AI algorithms play a crucial role in analyzing real-time data, which can contribute to enhancing the use of energy. This can efficiently save operational costs and can also improve productivity through the outcomes.

Additionally, the data-analyzing capabilities of machines are anticipated to play an impactful role in the predictive maintenance of the water desalination plant equipment market through AI sensors that can predict downtime and help manage the workload. The rise of these technologies is anticipated to play a crucial role in water quality analysis.

• In April 2024, ACCIONA enhanced their water desalination plants by implementing real-time machine learning algorithms at the edge, optimizing chemical dosing, reducing costs, and achieving significant operational efficiency, with anticipated savings of USD 23 million across 89 plants in the first year.

Water Desalination Plant Equipment Market Growth Factors

• Rapid growth in the industrial sector, such as power generation, petrochemicals, and others, is playing a major role in the growth of the water desalination plant equipment market.
• The increasing involvement of the private sector companies to improve the freshwater facilities stands out as a major growth factor towards the market growth.
• Rising technological advancements, such as modification in management solutions like brine, are playing a crucial role in market growth.
• The impact of climate change is playing a major role in the adoption of desalination equipment as the weather is affecting the freshwater sources which can help in fulfilling the market demand.

Market Scope

Market Dynamics

Drivers

Rising water scarcity

The water desalination plant equipment market is gaining popularity due to the rising dependence on groundwater sources like rivers and lakes. Rapid global warming and climate change are majorly affecting these sources, which increases the demand for these devices that can use seawater. These environmental factors are affecting regions like Australia, California, etc, which are focusing on adopting desalination plants that can help fulfill the water demand in these regions.

• According to the report by the United Nations (UN), around 2 billion people worldwide don’t have access to safe drinking water. The report also adds that water scarcity is anticipated to affect the global population in the upcoming years severely. 

The rapid increase in the global population

The increasing global population has led to the rising demand for water for agriculture, industrial, and municipal use. Additionally, rapid urbanization has led to the increasing need for freshwater, where the groundwater sources have become insufficient. This has led the focus towards the adoption of technologies that significantly benefit the water desalination plant equipment market. The rapid increase in the coastal population is significantly driving the need for equipment that can use seawater and fulfill the water demand.

• According to the United Nations, the global population increased from 2.5 billion in 1950 to 8 billion in November 2022, adding 1 billion people since 2010 and 2 billion since 1998.

Restraint

Higher costs

Water scarcity is one of the major rising concerns that is affecting underdeveloped regions. The water desalination plant equipment market has witnessed effective growth in urban areas, but factors like higher initial investments and operational costs can hamper the market growth. Underdeveloped regions with low budgets cannot afford these technologies, which can be used to convert seawater for human consumption and industrial use. Additionally, the increasing environmental impact, such as GHG impact, is also one of the major reasons that lead to the need for advanced technologies.

Opportunities

Government policies and initiatives

The rising demand for freshwater has led to regulatory attention, which is attracting multiple investments through policies that focus on the expansion of the water infrastructure. The water desalination plant equipment market is growing efficiently due to the rising projects in the water-scarce region. The government is also focused on developing technologies, which is providing many opportunities for global companies. For instance, the government of India launched the National Mission on Desalination (NMD), which aims to ensure water security by developing desalination technologies and collaborating with global solution providers.

Adoption of renewable energy

Rising concerns regarding energy management have led to a rising focus on the adoption of clean energy. The water desalination plant equipment market brings many opportunities due to the rising adoption of renewable energy, as the whole desalination process requires extensive energy. This rising shift plays a vital role in saving companies' operational costs, which can provide more opportunities for small and medium enterprises. Additionally, there is an increase in environmental concerns regarding the use of fossil fuels.

Equipment Insights

The desalination device segment contributed the largest share of the market in 2023. The dominance of the water desalination plant equipment market is attributed to the wide userbase of ROs, which play a crucial role in removing the contaminants from the water that can be used for human consumption. The widespread use of this equipment is one of the major reasons that it has attracted many investments, which helps in its innovation that can be made available as fresh water. These investments mainly focus on improving efficiency, which could help in generating more revenue.

The post-processing system segment is anticipated to grow at a significant CAGR in the market during the forecast period of 2024 to 2034. These systems usually focus on the technologies and stages applied after the desalination process, ensuring the water quality standards. The water desalination plant equipment market is growing significantly due to the rising standards for water in commercial use. These standards ensure the water quality for consumption and usage for other purposes. Additionally, the rising regulatory standards in the agricultural sector are anticipated to bring many business opportunities in the upcoming years.

Source Insights

The brackish water source segment marked its dominance over the market in 2023. The water contains salinity ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 ppm of dissolved salts. The water is often found in lakes and rivers. The dominance of the region is attributed to the cost-effectiveness of the source as it consumes less energy, which requires initial investment. The availability of brackish water is also one of the major reasons it is dominant. Additionally, there is a rising demand for brackish water in the agricultural sector.

The seawater segment is anticipated to grow at the fastest CAGR in the market during the forecast period of 2024 to 2034. Seawater contains around 35000 ppm, which is higher as compared to brackish water. The water desalination plant equipment market is growing efficiently due to the rising seawater pollution. Coastal population growth is one of the biggest contributors to the need for desalination plants. This has led to the rising government focus on technological advancements that focus on reducing energy consumption and improving outcomes. The growth in the renewable energy sector is anticipated in the upcoming years.

Application Insights

The municipal application segment led the global market in 2023. The rising demand for public water supply is leading to the demand for water desalination plant equipment market. The rising focus on the improvement of the water infrastructure is promoting the use of this equipment, which can fulfill freshwater needs, especially in the cities. Urbanization is one of the major factors that has led to the need for water in various applications, which reduces the reliability of traditional water sources.

The industrial segment is anticipated to expand rapidly in the market over the forecast period of 2024 to 2034. The rapid industrialization is one of the major contributors to the growth of the water desalination plant equipment market. The rising demand for power generation has contributed to the demand for desalination plants. These rising operations are increasing the reliability of desalination plants due to the limited availability of groundwater resources. The rising sustainable initiatives are anticipated in the coming years.

Production Capacity Insights

The above 1,500 m3/hr segment dominated the global market in 2023. The rising demand for water demand for large-scale operations has been increasing the demand for water desalination plant equipment market. Additionally, the rising water scarcity is attracting investment from those who are focusing on freshwater.

Water Desalination Plant Equipment Companies

• Xylem, Inc.
• Veolia
• Aquatech
• Doosan Corporation
• IDE
• APPLIED MEMBRANES, INC.
• DuPont
• TOYOBO CO., LTD.
• Pure Aqua, Inc.
• Ovivo
• Guangzhou KangYang Seawater Desalination Equipment Co., Ltd.
• Genesis Water Technologies
• Biwater Holdings Limited

Latest Announcement by Industry Leaders

• In October 2024, Aquatech won a 25-year deal for water management at Stegra’s green steel plant. Aquatech’s CEO, Devesh Sharma, shared, ‘Technology, transparency, and flexibility are key to effectively solving today’s water challenges. Our partnership with Stegra and John Laing delivers impactful value to the green steel facility and establishes a new model for the future of industrial water.’

Recent Developments

• In October 2024, WABAG secured an INR 1,000 crore contract to establish a 100 MLD seawater desalination plant at Indosol Solar’s solar PV manufacturing site in Andhra Pradesh, India.
• In October 2024, SUEZ, along with CTCI Group and Hung Hua, won a € 508 million contract to design, build, and operate Taiwan's first large-scale municipal seawater desalination plant in Hsinchu City, aimed at enhancing water supply stability for 1.6 million people and the growing semiconductor industry.

Segments Covered in the Report

By Equipment

• Pretreatment System
• Desalination Device
• Reverse Osmosis
• Multi-Stage Flash (MSF) Distillation
• Multi-Effect Distillation (MED)
• Post-Processing System
• Cleaning System
• Electrical Control System

By Source 

• Seawater
• Brackish Water
• River Water
• Others

By Application 

• Municipal
• Industrial
• Others

By Production

• Below 10 M3/Hr
• 11-100 M3/Hr
• 101-400 M3/Hr
• 401-1,000 M3/Hr
• 1,001-1,500 M3/Hr
• Above 1,500 M3/Hr

By Geography

• North America
• Asia Pacific
• Europe
• Latin America
• Middle East and Africa