Tender for mobile desalination unit imminent amid water crisis

A tender for a mobile water desalination unit in Paphos is expected to be announced soon, agriculture ministry director Andreas Gregoriou said on Monday.

The announcement follows a catastrophic leak at the Mavrokolympos dam over the weekend, which local authorities have described as “disastrous”. Approximately 1.3 million cubic metres of water are anticipated to be lost due to the leak, compounding the water shortage already affecting residents and farmers islandwide.

Gregoriou was scheduled to brief the parliamentary agriculture committee on Tuesday about the serious water scarcity and the ministry’s plans to address it.

Measures include short- and medium-term solutions, such as increasing water availability through desalination and expanding the use of reclaimed water, he told Stockwatch.

The ministry is focused on preventing water rationing next summer, Gregoriou said, adding that a public education campaign on water conservation is also essential.

Gregoriou highlighted the high cost of desalinated water, noting that in 2024, it had cost the state around €120 million. The significant energy demands of desalination plants make them expensive to operate.To mitigate this, the government is exploring options for desalination units powered by renewable energy sources.

Currently, five permanent desalination plants – in Dhekelia, Larnaca, Vasiliko, Episkopi and Paphos – produce a total of 235,000 cubic metres of drinking water daily.

Plans for four mobile desalination units are underway, with three designated for Limassol and one for Paphos. Each unit will have an output capacity of 10,000 cubic metres per day.

The Paphos unit’s tender process is being prioritised after the existing unit was completely destroyed by fire in December, while the remaining three are expected to move through the process after the summer, he said.

The cost of the new units is estimated at €66.4 million, of which €18.8 million will covers their construction.

The Paphos unit is to be built in the municipality of Peyia, adjacent to the planned marina area of Potima, near Kissonerga.

The three remaining units, planned for Limassol, are to be located at the Garylli area, near the EAC power plant in Moni, and by the new Limassol port.

The first two will have the capacity to produce 10,000 m3/day. The Garyllis unit will treat water from boreholes at an estimated cost of €3.4 million, while the one at Moni will produce the same volume, at a cost of €6.7 million.

The third unit in the area of the new port will have a capacity of 5,000 m3/day with possibility to expand this to 10,000m3/day, and an estimated cost of €4.2 million.

In addition to the mobile units, Gregoriou said two new fixed desalination plants are planned for the next 3–4 years, along with expansions to existing facilities.

Meanwhile, water reclaimed from various new and upgraded sewerage systems, is to be used to cover irrigation needs.