Global Desalination Market to Triple Over Next 10 Years

The global market for desalinating seawater and brackish water to generate new supplies of potable water will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 9.5% over the next 10 years, effectively tripling the market in size to reach a capacity of 54 billion cu meters per year, according to a recent report by Lux Research.

Reverse osmosis (RO) is the dominant technology today for desalination, accounting for a 54% share of the market in 2008, but other technologies, such as cloud point and ammonia carbonate forward osmosis (FO), will vie for a position in the market.

“The bottom line is that there are growth opportunities in brackish water and recycling, but RO is so entrenched that its variations will dominate for 20 years, with new technologies coming to market only through RO hybridization,” said Michael LoCascio, a senior analyst at Lux Research and the report’s lead author.

Source: Lux Research, Environmental Business Journal