Estelle Brachlianoff : “Our technological innovations have made it possible to produce desalinated water on a large scale with a very low carbon footprint”

Leading provider of low-carbon solutions, Veolia recently announced a $320 million contract to design the Hassyan desalination plant in Dubai, which will be the largest solar-powered desalination plant in the world. Thanks to the latest-generation reverse osmosis technology, this ultra-efficient plant will boast record consumption of 2.9 kWh/m3, 35% less than the average over the last 10 years. A product of the Veolia group's expertise, this plant will supply drinking water to 2 million people. 

This technological feat is fully in line with Veolia's ambition to offer sustainable, low-carbon solutions through its strategic GreenUp program. The Group is thus confirming its leadership in desalination, a key sector for guaranteeing access to water in arid regions threatened by climate change and the scarcity of freshwater resources.

Cutting-edge references worldwide

With Veolia's world-renowned expertise in desalination, the Group already operates several of the world's largest plants, including Ras Al Khair in Saudi Arabia (1.07 million m3/day) and Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (636,000 m3/day). The Group also won a contract to design and build the Mirfa 2 desalination project, the third largest seawater desalination plant in the United Arab Emirates, located in Abu Dhabi.

In Australia, Veolia also designed the Sydney desalination plant, with a capacity of 250,000 m3/day, which supplies 15% of the city's drinking water needs. The Group also manages the Tampa Bay plant in the United States (950,000 m3/day), one of the world's largest seawater desalination plants. 

Ever more efficient technologies

To achieve unrivalled levels of energy efficiency, Veolia relies on innovation and the deployment of cutting-edge technologies such as ultra-high-pressure reverse osmosis. The Group also optimizes pre- and post-treatment stages to reduce energy requirements.

At the same time, Veolia is developing solutions to minimize the environmental impact of desalination, such as the rejection of brine or the consumption of fresh water for membrane cleaning. In Dubai, for example, draconian measures have been taken to protect sea turtle nesting areas.