As Cyprus faces its third consecutive year of severe water scarcity, the government is exploring solutions to secure adequate water supplies for citizens and agriculture.
Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou is in Abu Dhabi today to discuss potential cooperation with the United Arab Emirates’ National Energy Company (TAQA).
The visit aims to investigate the possibility of deploying mobile desalination units in Cyprus to increase the availability of potable water.
The ongoing lack of rainfall, coupled with increasing water demands from tourism and population growth, has exacerbated Cyprus’s water shortage. While desalination plants currently meet 70% of the island’s water needs, the necessity for additional and more adaptable solutions is growing. Mobile desalination technology, offering quicker deployment and greater flexibility, is seen as a promising option to address the crisis.
TAQA, which has extensive experience in developing desalination and energy production projects globally, has reportedly shown interest in the collaboration. This is partly attributed to Cyprus’s strategic regional importance and the need for innovative water technology solutions.
According to reports, Abu Dhabi’s state-owned power company expressed interest during a public consultation for both land-based mobile and permanent desalination units.
Proposals include small-scale reverse osmosis desalination units housed in shipping containers and a larger, permanent desalination plant with a capacity of 80,000 to 100,000 cubic metres of water per day, which could be constructed within five years. TAQA reportedly collaborates with Spanish companies such as GS Inima, Acciona, and Abengoa on its desalination projects.
