Four new desalination plants in Cyprus. 180,000 cubic meters of water per day.

Four new desalination plants in Cyprus are expected to deliver a total of 180,000 cubic meters of water per day. On September 2nd, the Council of Ministers approved the construction of new permanent plants in Dhekelia, Ayia Thekla, and Polis Chrysochous. A previously approved project in eastern Limassol will be implemented in parallel.

The change in plans is part of a broader strategy to secure water supplies and reduce the water system's dependence on rainfall and reservoir levels. At the same time, the planned mobile plant in Ayia Napa has been abandoned, and the floating desalination plant project in Germasogei has been postponed.

Where will new desalination plants be built?

The largest of the newly approved installations is to be built in Dhekelia. Its planned capacity is 80,000 m³ of water per day.

The other two locations are:

• Ayia Thekla – 30,000 m³ per day
• Polis Chrysochous – 10,000 m³ per day

Implementation will be possible after obtaining all required consents and permits.

These projects include the previously approved permanent desalination plant in eastern Limassolwhich is to produce up to 60,000 m³ of water per day.

The total planned capacity of the four new permanent installations is therefore 180,000 m³ per day.

Ayia Napa drops out of the plan

The Council of Ministers also re-examined projects previously prepared as emergency solutions for times of water shortage.

It was decided to cancellation of the mobile desalination plant in Ayia NapaIn the new plan, its role will be taken over by a larger, permanent installation in nearby Ayia Thekla.

However, the project was postponed floating desalination plant in GermasogeiThe government has not permanently closed it. The need for the investment will be reassessed in the future, depending on water demand, reserve levels, and costs.

The plan reaches until 2050

The Council of Ministers approved the further implementation of the six-year desalination development program for the years 2025–2031The preparation of a long-term program to secure water supplies until 2050 was also provisionally approved.

The Department of Water Development is also preparing a strategic study on the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of the desalination system.

One of the variants being analyzed will be the possibility of covering 100 percent of the country's water needs with desalinated water.

This doesn't mean, however, that such a decision has already been made. The final shape of the long-term program will depend on the results of the upcoming study.

The current official strategy indicates that desalination would cover approximately 80% of the water needs served by state-owned systems by early 2026. The direction of change is clear: residents' water supply will increasingly depend less on how much rain falls in winter and how much remains in reservoirs.

Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment of the Republic of Cyprus, Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, Department of Water Development, Cyprus Mail, Philenews