There are more than 15,000 desalination plants operating around the world. The biggest plants are generally in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Israel.

The Ras Azzour plant and Shoaiba 3 plant in Saudia Arabia will be the largest desalination plants in the world. Ras Azzour will deliver 1,025,000m³ per day. Shoaiba 3 delivers 1,030,000 m³ per day. They use multi-stage flash desalination.

Israel’s Hadera plant is the largest operating seawater reverse osmosis membrane plant at 456,000 m³ per day although 500,000 m³ per day plants are in the planning phase in Algeria and Israel.

There are more than 120 desalination projects in planning or construction around the world at the moment.

The Victorian Government selected AquaSure to build and operate the $3.5 billion desalination plant at Wonthaggi.

This will be the largest plant in Australia with the ability to deliver up to 150 billion litres per year (444,000 m³ per day capacity).  

Degrémont, a subsidiary of Suez Environnement, is a world leader in reverse osmosis technology. Degrémont has built hundreds of desalination and water treatment plants around the world.

The desalination plants Degrémont has completed include Perth’s Kwinana plant and the Barcelona-Llobregat plant in Spain which won the 2010 Global Water Awards Desalination Plant of the Year.