Desalination by country
There are roughly 22,000 operational desalination plants, located across 177 countries, which generate an estimated 95 million m3/day of fresh water to over 300 million people daily. Micro desalination plants operate near almost every natural gas or fracking facility in the United States. Furthermore, micro desalination facilities exist in textile, leather, food industries, etc.
As of December 7, 2023, Shoaiba Power and Desalination Plant, located on the Red Sea coast, managed by the Saline Water Conversion Corporation, holds the record for the highest production capacity globally, generating 2,998,000 cubic meters of desalinated water per day.
There are multiple types of water desalination systems but the two most used are thermal and membrane. Thermal systems use heat to evaporate the water, separating it from the salt and then condensing the steam to collect the fresh water. Membrane systems use high pressure to push the water through a series of sieves. The sieves membranes are big enough to allow the water to pass through but small enough to trap the salt, minerals and other impurities.
Operating desalination plants
The following table is a list of operating desalination plants. Criteria for inclusion on this list include:- that it's operating, and
- has a capacity of at least 100,000 cubic meters per day or it's the largest in its country.
- excludes desalination plants used primarily for mining
| Country | Name | Capacity | Coordinates | Completion | ||
| 25px Algeria | Aïn Témouchent | Béni Saf | Beni Saf Desalination Plant | 2009 | ||
| 25px Algeria | Algiers | Algiers | Hamma Desalination Plant | 2008 | ||
| 25px Algeria | Boumerdès | Djinet | Cap Djinet Desalination Station | 2012 | ||
| 25px Algeria | Boumerdès | Djinet | Cap Djinet 2 Desalination Station | 2025 | ||
| 25px Algeria | Chlef | Ténès | Tenes Desalination Plant | 36.014149, 0.128339 | 2015 | |
| 25px Algeria | El Tarf | Berrihane | Koudiet Eddraouche Desalination Plant | 2025 | ||
| 25px Algeria | Mostaganem | Mostaganem | TEC Sonaghter Desalination Plant | 2012 | ||
| 25px Algeria | Oran | Mers El Hadjadj | Magtaa Reverse Osmosis Desalination Plant | 2014 | ||
| 25px Algeria | Oran | Aïn El Kerma | Cap Blanc Desalination Plant | 2025 | ||
| 25px Algeria | Skikda | Skikda | Skikda Desalination Plant | 2009 | ||
| 25px Algeria | Tipaza | Fouka | Fouka Desalination Plant | 2008 | ||
| 25px Algeria | Tipaza | Fouka | Fouka 2 Desalination Plant | 2025 | ||
| 25px Algeria | Tlemcen | Souk Tlata | Souk Tlata Desalination Plant | 2011 | ||
| 25px Algeria | Tlemcen | Honaine | Tlemcen Hounaine Desalination Plant | 2011 | ||
| 25px Australia | New South Wales | Sydney | Sydney Desalination Plant | 2012 | ||
| 25px Australia | Queensland | Gold Coast | Gold Coast Desalination Plant | 2009 | ||
| 25px Australia | South Australia | Adelaide | Adelaide Desalination Plant | 2012 | ||
| 25px Australia | Victoria | Dalyston | Victorian Desalination Plant | 2012 | ||
| 25px Australia | Western Australia | Cape Preston | Cape Preston Desalination Plant | 2012 | ||
| 25px Australia | Western Australia | Perth | Perth Seawater Desalination Plant | 2006 | ||
| 25px Australia | Western Australia | Binningup | Southern Seawater Desalination Plant | 2012 | ||
| 25px Bahrain | Muharraq Island | Al Hidd | Al Hidd Desalination Plant | 2000 | ||
| 25px Barbados | Saint Michael | Bridgetown | Ionics Desalination Plant | |||
| 25px Chile | Atacama Region | Caldera | Caldera Desalination Plant | |||
| 25px China | Tianjin | Tianjin | Beijing Desalination Plant | |||
| 25px Cyprus | Larnaca | Larnaca | MN Larnaca Desalination Co | 2001 | ||
| 25px Germany | Schleswig-Holstein | Helgoland | Combined Desalination Plants for Island | 1998 | ||
| 25px India | Tamil Nadu | Chennai | Minjur Seawater Desalination Plant | |||
| 25px India | Tamil Nadu | Nemmeli | Nemmeli Desalination Plant | 2012 | ||
| 25px Israel | Central | Palmachim | Palmachim Desalination Plant | |||
| 25px Israel | Central | Palmachim | Sorek Desalination Plant | 2013 | ||
| 25px Israel | Haifa | Hadera | Hadera Desalination Plant | |||
| 25px Israel | Southern | Ashdod | Mekorot's Desalination Plant | |||
| 25px Israel | Southern | Ashkelon | Ashkelon Desalination Plant | |||
| 25px Kazakhstan | Mangystau | Aktau | Caspiy desalination plant | 2011 | ||
| 25px Kuwait | Ahmadi | Mina Abd Allah | Shuaiba North Desalination Plant | |||
| 25px Kuwait | Ahmadi | Mina Abd Allah | Shuaiba South Desalination Plant | |||
| 25px Kuwait | Ahmadi | Zour | Az-Zour Desalination Plant | |||
| 25px Kuwait | Capital | Shuwaikh | Shuwaikh Desalination Plant | |||
| 25px Kuwait | Jahra | Doha | Doha East Desalination Plant | |||
| 25px Kuwait | Jahra | Doha | Doha West Desalination Plant | |||
| 25px Kuwait | Jahra | Subiya | Subiya Desalination Plant | |||
| 25px Malta | Southern Region | Siġġiewi | Għar Lapsi Reverse Osmosis Plant | 1982 | ||
| 25px Malta | Eastern Region | Pembroke | Pembroke Reverse Osmosis Plant | 2016 | ||
| 25px Maldives | Kaafu Atoll | Malé | Malé Water & Sewerage Company | 2003 | ||
| 25px Mexico | Baja California | 1960 | ||||
| 25px Morocco | Souss-Massa | Chtouka Aït Baha | Chtouka Aitbaha Desalination Plant | 2022 | ||
| 25px Oman | Al Batinah South | Ar Rumays | Barka 4 Desalination Plant | 2018 | ||
| 25px Philippines | Cebu | Cordova | Cordova Desalination Plant | 2024 | ||
| 25px Qatar | Al Wakrah | Doha | Ras Abu Fontas | 1981 | ||
| 25px Saudi Arabia | Eastern Province | Jubail | Saline Water Conversion Corporation | 2000 | ||
| 25px Saudi Arabia | Eastern Province | Khobar | Saline Water Conversion Corporation | 2000 | ||
| 25px Saudi Arabia | Mecca Province | Jeddah | Saline Water Conversion Corporation | 1994 | ||
| 25px Saudi Arabia | Mecca Province | Jeddah | Shuaiba Desalination Plant Saline Water Conversion Corporation | 2001 | ||
| 25px Saudi Arabia | Medina Province | Yanbu | Saline Water Conversion Corporation | 1998 | ||
| 25px South Africa | Western Cape | Mossel Bay | Mossel Bay Desalination Plant | 2018 | ||
| Abu Dhabi | Al Shuweihat | Al Shuweihat S1 | 2001 | |||
| Abu Dhabi | Al Shuweihat | Al Shuweihat S2 | 2009 | |||
| Abu Dhabi | Al Taweelah | Taweelah A1 | 1999 | |||
| Abu Dhabi | Al Taweelah | Taweelah A2 | 2000 | |||
| Abu Dhabi | Al Taweelah | Taweelah B | 2005 | |||
| Abu Dhabi | Al Taweelah | Al Taweelah RO | 2022 | |||
| Abu Dhabi | Mirfa | Mirfa International Power and Water Company plant | 2014 | |||
| Abu Dhabi | Umm Al Nar | Umm Al Nar plant | 2003 | |||
| Dubai | Jebel Ali | Jebel Ali Power Plant and Water Desalination | 2019 | |||
| Fujairah | Fujairah | Fujairah F1 | 2006 | |||
| Fujairah | Fujairah | Fujairah F2 | 2007 |