Desalination units with a combined capacity of 15,000 cubic meters per day, donated by the United Arab Emirates, will soon be installed in Limassol and Paphos, with priority given to Paphos due to more severe water shortages.
The mobile units are being provided by the UAE’s National Energy Company (TAQA), according to sources cited by Philenews.
Following the destruction of the Kouklia desalination plant, authorities fast-tracked efforts to secure mobile desalination capacity, as the damaged facility is unlikely to resume operations before late August.
Of the donated units, 5,000 cubic meters of daily capacity will be allocated to Paphos, while 10,000 cubic meters will go to Limassol—effectively covering the supply needs initially planned for four mobile desalination units.
According to the Water Development Department’s plans:
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In Limassol, three mobile units will be installed: one in the Garyllis area for well water processing, one at the Electricity Authority of Cyprus power plant in Moni, and one at the new port.
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In Paphos, one unit is planned for the Peyia municipality, near the site of the proposed Paphos marina, with the tendering process currently underway.
The UAE solution involves 15 mobile desalination units, each capable of producing up to 1,100 cubic meters of water daily, which officials say “will fully meet Cyprus’s needs.”
Earlier this month, Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou and a delegation from the Water Development Department visited the UAE to discuss potential collaboration with TAQA, aiming to boost Cyprus’s drinking water supply.
TAQA, which specializes in desalination and energy projects globally, is interested in partnering with Cyprus given its strategic regional importance and need for innovative water solutions.
The Abu Dhabi-based company has also expressed interest in public tenders for both land-based mobile and permanent desalination plants. TAQA’s proposals include containerized reverse osmosis units for smaller facilities and a plan for a permanent desalination plant with a daily capacity of 80,000–100,000 cubic meters, which could be completed within five years.
For its desalination projects, TAQA partners with Spanish firms such as GS Inima, Acciona, and Abengoa, officials said.