Israel Doubles Desalination Capacity as Mediterranean Salinity Concerns Grow

An Engineering Response to a Regional Water Problem

The Israel Water Authority (IWA) finalised last week the tender for the fifth large seawater desalination plant on the Mediterranean coast. With a daily capacity of 600,000 cubic meters, the project will be the largest single facility in the region and will allow desalination to cover 90 percent of the country's freshwater demand by 2030.

Investment Volume and Technical Profile

The plant, with a total investment of 1.4 billion dollars, is built on reverse osmosis. Key differences compared with previous-generation plants:

• A 25 percent improvement in energy efficiency thanks to isobaric energy recovery devices
• Boron removal optimisation through two-pass reverse osmosis
• Renewable energy integration (40 percent self-consumption)
• Brine discharge with dilution and active diffusion systems
• AI-supported control with on-site water quality monitoring

Mediterranean Salinity Debate

Regional marine science institutes report a 1.5 percent rise in surface water salinity in the eastern Mediterranean over the past 15 years. The increase is attributed to natural climate factors as well as desalination intensity in the region. Israel's Ministry of Environmental Protection states that, with the new plant's diffuser systems, the local salinity rise will fall below detectable levels just 200 meters from the shore.

Agricultural Impact and Soil Issues

Long-term use of desalinated water for irrigation can cause soil-related problems such as magnesium deficiency and boron accumulation. Israel's experience over the past decade shows that without controlled mineral supplementation (post-mineralisation), crop yields can fall 5 to 8 percent. The new plant includes a calcium-magnesium balancing unit as standard.

Regional Water Diplomacy

Under existing agreements, Israel supplies 100 million cubic meters of advanced treated water per year to Jordan. With the fifth plant coming online, raising that volume to 200 million cubic meters is under negotiation. Water is emerging as the second-most-critical regional diplomacy tool after energy.

Implications for Turkey

Small-scale desalination feasibility studies are under way in several drought-stressed provinces along Turkey's Mediterranean and Aegean coasts. The Israeli case offers direct technical reference on energy efficiency, brine management and mineral supplementation. Turkey is expected to put at least two or three large desalination plants on the medium-term agenda.