The Egyptian government is seeking to raise US$2.5 billion to build 17 renewables-powered desalination plants by 2025.

BNN Bloomberg reports that the new plants, to be owned and operated by Egypt’s sovereign wealth fund in partnership with investors, will be powered by solar and other renewable sources.

The country, which is facing looming water scarcity (exacerbated by population growth and the effects of climate change), needs about 114 billion m³ of water per annum to serve its population of 100 million. Egypt receives about half of its water needs from natural resources and relies on other water-saving initiatives such as recycling groundwater and agricultural wastewater, and importing extra food instead of irrigating more crops.

The plants are expected to produce a combined total of 2.8 million m³ of desalinated water per day once complete. They are part of a broader plan to add 6.4 million m³ of desalinated water per day by 2050. The country already operates 76 desalination plants, which produce 832 000 m³ per day.

7 September 2021
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