Solar Water Desalination Plant Market Report 2026

The solar water desalination plant market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $3.05 billion in 2025 to $3.26 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.9%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to rising water scarcity in arid regions, early adoption of membrane-based desalination, government initiatives promoting renewable desalination, increased industrial water demand, growth in seawater purification research.

The solar water desalination plant market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $4.25 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.9%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to growing investments in sustainable water infrastructure, rising demand for decentralized desalination units, technological advancements in solar thermal integration, increasing focus on low-cost membrane processes, expanding adoption of hybrid desalination systems. Major trends in the forecast period include growing deployment of solar-powered reverse osmosis systems, increasing adoption of hdh and csp-based desalination technologies, rising demand for off-grid water purification solutions, expansion of modular and scalable desalination plants, advancements in high-efficiency membrane technologies.

The solar water desalination plant market is poised for growth as a result of increasing water scarcity and freshwater demand. Factors driving this trend include population growth, urbanization, climate change, water pollution, inefficient water use, economic development, and inadequate infrastructure. Solar water desalination plants utilize renewable solar energy to convert seawater into fresh water, offering a sustainable and dependable water supply in regions with limited access to freshwater sources. For instance, as reported by the United Nations in March 2023, nearly 1 billion urban residents worldwide currently face water scarcity, a figure projected to increase to between 1.7 billion and 2.4 billion by 2050. Thus, the escalating water scarcity and demand for freshwater are driving the expansion of the solar water desalination plant market.

Key players in the solar water desalination plant market are focusing on developing innovative technologies and systems with higher water-production and salt-rejection rates to enhance profitability. Increased water-production rates signify greater efficiency and productivity, while higher salt-rejection rates indicate reduced concentrations of residual salts in treated water. For example, in September 2023, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) introduced a solar-powered desalination device utilizing a completely passive system. This system, which features multiple layers of flat solar evaporators and condensers aligned in a vertical array and insulated with transparent aerogel, avoids salt-clogging issues by utilizing natural convection. This innovative approach ensures high performance and reliability, even in extreme conditions, offering a promising solution to water scarcity, especially in developing nations.

In June 2023, Silal, a UAE-based water technology company, collaborated with Desolenator to implement a solar-powered desalination project. The partnership is intended to advance sustainable water solutions, enhance access to clean drinking water through renewable energy, and speed up the adoption of innovative solar desalination technologies in the region. Desolenator is a Netherlands-based solar desalination solutions provider offering solar-powered water desalination systems.

Major companies operating in the solar water desalination plant market are TotalEnergies SE, Tesla Inc., Toray Industries Inc., Acciona S.A., Suez SA, Andritz AG, OMya International AG, Abengoa S.A., Waaree Energies Ltd., Photon Energy Systems Limited, Hyflux Ltd., AMP Energy, IDE Technologies, Sterlitech Corporation, Avista tech, LG Water Solutions, Solar Spring GmbH, Trunz Water Systems AG, Sinovoltaics Group, Technol Protoroz d o o, Vontron Membrane Technology, Aquatech International LLC, Desolenator Labs, Elemental Water Makers B.V., F Cubed Limited, Solar Water Solutions Ltd., Solaropia.

Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report’s Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.

Tariffs on solar modules, membrane components, and filtration equipment have raised procurement costs for solar water desalination plants, increasing capital expenditure for small, medium, and large facilities. Regions dependent on imported solar hardware such as the Middle East, Africa, and parts of Asia face higher project costs and delays. However, tariffs are incentivizing domestic manufacturing of solar components and membranes, fostering innovation, reducing long-term reliance on imports, and supporting localized desalination technology ecosystems.

The solar desalination plant market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides solar desalination plant market statistics, including solar desalination plant industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a solar desalination plant market share, detailed solar desalination plant market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the solar desalination plant industry. This solar desalination plant market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

A solar desalination facility utilizes solar power to extract salt and other contaminants from seawater or saline sources, rendering it suitable for human consumption, agricultural applications, or industrial use. These plants offer a sustainable solution to water scarcity challenges by harnessing renewable solar energy to produce freshwater from saline sources.

Solar water desalination plants employ various membrane processes, including solar-powered reverse osmosis, nano-filtration, electro-dialysis, electro-dialysis reversal, membrane distillation, and others. Solar-powered reverse osmosis (RO) involves using solar energy to drive the desalination process through reverse osmosis. Different desalination methods such as solar-powered humidification-dehumidification (HDH), solar diffusion-driven, concentrated solar power (CSP)-based, and solar ponds are employed across plants of different capacities, small (below 1 MLD), medium (1 MLD - 10 MLD), and large (above 10 MLD). These plants cater to various end-user industries including industrial, agricultural, residential, commercial, and municipal sectors.Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the solar water desalination plant market in 2025. It is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the solar water desalination plant market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the solar water desalination plant market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The solar water desalination plant market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing services such as design and engineering, installation and construction, technology supply, monitoring and remote management, and consulting and advisory. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The solar water desalination plant market also includes sales of solar panels, pumps, a desalination unit, storage tanks, a distribution system, monitoring and control systems, a backup power system, and a water intake and discharge system. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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