Water scarcity, population and economic growth, pollution, and urbanization are all placing increased pressure on freshwater resources. The gap between the supply of freshwater and demand for water for industrial, agricultural, and domestic use is growing at an alarming pace – from California to Australia. At the same time, the cost of desalination has come down steadily. Desalination is becoming more affordable and more people can benefit from an almost unlimited resource – seawater.

The desalination plant supplier market is quite fragmented, despite a great deal of mergers and acquisitions activity during the last decade. And as reverse osmosis (RO) is increasingly adopted as the major desalination technology, the barriers to entry are being lowered. Of note, the top five suppliers captured a mere 25% of the market from 2007 to 2009. In contrast, however, the market for key desalination components is far more concentrated. For example, more than 65% of the market for RO membranes is controlled by three large players. The markets for high-pressure pumps and energy recovery devices are also quite concentrated. These competitive dynamics will be critically important as the stakes continue to increase in the rapidly-growing global desalination market.

This Pike Research report analyzes emerging technologies and market opportunities in the global desalination industry. It explores a variety of market growth drivers including dwindling water resources, population, pollution, and falling desalination system costs. Key industry players are profiled and country-level market forecasts are provided for key global markets through 2016.

Key questions addressed:

• What are the key drivers, issues and challenges in the global desalination market?
• What are the key emerging technologies, and how will their capabilities and economics impact the desalination market in years to come?
• How does energy supply affect the demand for, and cost of, desalination systems?
• What is the market share of key desalination companies?
• How large is the desalination market opportunity in key countries around the world, and what factors will drive growth in each of those countries?

Who needs this report?

• Desalination plant suppliers
• Desalination component suppliers
• Energy companies
• Non-profit organizations
• Industry associations
• Government agencies
• Investment community
• Consultants

Table of Contents

1. Executive Summary

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Opportunities

1.3 Market Forces

1.3.1 Fossil Fuels

1.3.2 Population Growth

1.3.3 Environment

1.3.4 Other Forces

1.4 Competitive Landscape

1.4.1 Fragmented Market for Plant Suppliers

1.4.2 Concentrated Market for Key Component Suppliers

1.4.3 Key Market Players

1.5 Market Outlook

2. Market Issues

2.1 The Fossil Fuel Divide

2.2 Population

2.2.1 Population Growth

2.2.2 Population in Coastal Regions

2.3 The Cost of Desalted Water

2.3.1 Cost Comparison with a Pinch of Salt

2.3.2 Affordable Desalination

2.3.3 Cost Breakdown and Reduction

2.3.4 Cost Trends Analysis

2.3.4.1 Cost Trend in Israel

2.3.4.2 Cost Trend in Algeria

2.3.5 Costs of Desalination Plants across the Globe

2.4 Desalination and Energy

2.4.1 The Law of Thermodynamics Sets the Minimum

2.4.2 The Race to Save Energy

2.4.3 Energy Prices

2.4.4 Carbon Footprint

2.4.5 Prospects

2.5 The Price of Water

2.6 Unequally Distributed Freshwater

2.7 Water Availability

2.8 Economic Activity

2.8.1 Industrial Growth

2.8.2 Tourism

2.9 Environmental Footprint of Desalination

2.9.1 Brine Discharge

2.9.2 Carbon Footprint

2.9.3 Land Footprint

2.10 Public Opposition

2.11 Privatization and Financing

3. Technology Issues

3.1 Definition

3.1.1 Desalination

3.1.2 Unconventional Water Resources

3.1.2.1 Seawater

3.1.2.2 Brackish Water

3.1.2.3 Waste Water

3.2 Desalination Technologies

3.2.1 Reverse Osmosis

3.2.1.1 Pre-Treatment

3.2.1.2 RO Membranes

3.2.1.2.1 RO Membrane Material and Configuration

3.2.1.2.2 Performance

3.2.1.3 Pumps

3.2.1.4 Energy Recovery Devices

3.2.1.5 Intake and Outfall

3.2.2 Electrodialysis

3.3 Thermal Desalination

3.3.1 Multiple Effect Distillation

3.3.2 Multi-Stage Flash Distillation

3.4 Comparison: Thermal and Membrane Desalination Processes

3.4.1 Costs

3.4.1.1 Capital Expenditure

3.4.1.2 Operational Expenditure

3.4.2 Features

3.5 Hybrid Systems

3.6 Desalination and Renewable Energy

3.6.1 Solar

3.6.1.1 Solar-Driven Humidification and Dehumidification

3.6.1.2 Solar-Driven Reverse Osmosis

3.6.1.3 Solar-Driven Membrane Distillation

3.6.2 Wind

3.7 Selected Clean Technologies

3.7.1 Aquastill

3.7.2 Saltworks Technologies

3.7.3 NanoH2O

3.7.4 Clean Membranes

3.7.5 Siemens Water

3.7.6 Forward Osmosis

4. Key Industry Players

4.1 Market Consolidation and Fragmentation

4.1.1 Desalination Plant Suppliers – Fragmentation

4.1.2 Key Component Suppliers – Concentration

4.1.2.1 RO Membrane Manufacturers

4.1.2.2 High-Pressure Pumps Manufacturers

4.1.2.3 Energy Recovery Devices

4.2 Value Chain

4.3 Opportunities for New Entrants

4.3.1 EPC Companies

4.3.2 Construction Companies

4.3.3 Submarine Works Specialists

4.3.4 Acquisitions

4.4 Selected Company Profiles

4.4.1 Desalination Plant Suppliers

4.4.1.1 Acciona

4.4.1.2 Aqualyng

4.4.1.3 Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction

4.4.1.4 Fisia Italimpianti

4.4.1.5 GHD

4.4.1.6 H2O Innovation

4.4.1.7 Hyflux

4.4.1.8 IDE Technologies

4.4.1.9 Sadyt

4.4.1.10 Suez Environnement

4.4.1.11 Veolia

4.4.2 Key Component Suppliers

4.4.2.1 Bekaert Progressive Composites

4.4.2.2 Inge

4.4.2.3 MTS Valves

4.4.2.4 Torishima Pump

4.4.2.5 Victaulic

4.4.2.6 Woongjin Chemical

5. Market Forecasts

5.1 Key Assumptions

5.2 Market Overview

5.3 Outlook by Country

5.3.1 Middle East and North Africa

5.3.1.1 Gulf Cooperation Council

5.3.1.1.1 General

5.3.1.1.2 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

5.3.1.1.3 United Arab Emirates

5.3.1.1.4 Kuwait

5.3.1.1.5 Qatar

5.3.1.1.6 Bahrain

5.3.1.2 North Africa

5.3.1.2.1 Algeria

5.3.1.2.2 Tunisia

5.3.1.3 Israel

5.3.2 United States

5.3.3 Asia Pacific

5.3.3.1 China

5.3.3.2 India

5.3.3.3 Australia

5.3.3.4 The Maldives

5.3.4 Europe

5.3.4.1 Spain

5.3.4.2 Italy

5.3.4.3 Cyprus

5.3.5 Caribbean Basin

5.3.6 Rest of World

5.3.6.1 Namibia

5.3.6.2 Chile

6. Company Directory

7. Acronym and Abbreviation List

8. Table of Contents

9. Table of Charts and Figures

10. Scope of Study, Sources and Methodology, Notes

List of Charts and Figures

• Cumulative Installed Desalination Capacity, Top Growth Markets: 2010-2016
• Total Primary Energy Supply for Desalination by Source: 2005-2009
• Cumulative Installed Capacity, MENA and ROW: 2010-2016
• Population Growth Rate, Major Desalination Countries: 1950-2050
• Typical Capital Cost Breakdown for an SWRO Plant: 2009
• Typical Total Water Cost Breakdown for an SWRO Plant: 2009
• Specific CAPEX for Single-Purpose Seawater Desalination Plants by Country: 2008-2010
• Market Segmentation by Desalination Process: 2010
• Market Segmentation for Thermal Desalination Plants by Region: 2010
• Cumulative Installed Capacity, Top 10 Plant Suppliers: 2005-2008
• Market Share by Desalination Capacity, RO Membrane Suppliers: 2009
• Segmentation of Market Value by Category: 2009
• Cumulative Installed Desalination Capacity, Top Growth Markets: 2010-2016
• Desalination Capital Investment, Top Growth Markets: 2010-2016
• RO Desalination Plant Market Segmentation by Region: 2010-2016
• Market Segmentation by Desalination Process: 2010-2016
• Cumulative Installed Desalination Capacity, Saudi Arabia: 2010-2016
• Cumulative Installed Desalination Capacity, United Arab Emirates: 2010-2016
• Cumulative Installed Desalination Capacity, Kuwait: 2010-2016
• Cumulative Installed Desalination Capacity, Algeria: 2010-2016
• Cumulative Installed Desalination Capacity, United States: 2010-2016
• Cumulative Installed Desalination Capacity, China: 2010-2016
• Cumulative Installed Desalination Capacity, India: 2010-2016
• Cumulative Installed Desalination Capacity, Australia: 2010-2016
• Cumulative Installed Desalination Capacity, Caribbean Basin: 2010-2016
• Cumulative Installed Desalination Capacity, Chile: 2010-2016
• Water Stress Indicator in Major Basins: 2004
• Water Availability per Capita (1950 = 100): 1950-2025
• View of a Reverse Osmosis Seawater Desalination Plant in Melbourne
• Hyflux Water Treatment and Desalination Projects by Country: 2001-2008

List of Tables

• Total Desalted Water Costs for SWRO Plants, Israel: 2005-2012
• Capital Expenses of Desalination Plants, Algeria: 2008-2011
• CAPEX Comparison Between Desalination Processes: 1998-2008
• Comparison: Features of Thermal and Membrane Desalination Processes
• Overview of the Key Market Players in the Value Chain
• Suez Environnement Major Desalination Projects
• Installed and Planned Capacity by Project, Algeria: 2010
• Key Seawater Desalination Projects by Supplier, Israel: 2007-2012
• Key Sea and Brackish Water Desalination Projects by Supplier, Spain: 2008-2010