As we move through 2026, the global economy is facing a challenge that transcends market volatility: systemic water scarcity. According to the World Economic Forum, the demand for fresh water is projected to outstrip supply by 40% in the coming years. Water security is no longer merely a local infrastructure concern; it is a critical pillar of geopolitical and economic stability. In this environment, desalination has emerged as the only “limitless” solution—provided it can be transformed from a carbon-heavy, waste-producing process into a model of circular economy.
Surging Demand: The Thirst of a Growing Economy
Urbanization, the climate crisis, and the skyrocketing needs of industry (including high-consumption Data Centers and Green Hydrogen production) have pushed global water needs to a breaking point. In the Greek context, extended dry periods and seasonal tourism peaks on islands such as Santorini and Mykonos have elevated desalination to a key part of the national water strategy. However, traditional methods have reached their limits. The market now demands solutions that are not only energy-autonomous but also environmentally neutral.
Desalination: Benefits, Risks, and Technical Breakthroughs
Desalination offers a more climate-independent source of supply compared to surface water sources such as dams and reservoirs, whose output fluctuates with rainfall levels. However, the sector continues to face two structural challenges: energy intensity and the ecological impact of residue (brine).
- Energy Optimization and Cost Competitiveness: Energy consumption has traditionally been one of desalination’s principal constraints. Ongoing technological innovation, particularly in energy recovery systems and renewable integration, has meaningfully reduced the sector’s energy intensity. Advanced ERDs can now recover most of the pressure energy within the system, while renewable-powered facilities are driving production costs to historically competitive levels, in some large-scale cases below $0.40/m³.*
- Brine Management and Water Recovery Optimization: Typical desalination plants recover 40–50% of intake water, with the remaining concentrated brine returned to the sea under regulated discharge conditions. Managing this brine stream has therefore become a key environmental consideration. Emerging approaches, including Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) configurations, combine crystallization technologies and advanced membrane systems to further increase water recovery and convert residual brine into solid mineral by-products, though energy intensity remains a barrier. Minimal Liquid Discharge (MLD) offers a nearer-term compromise by reducing brine volume at a lower cost.
Investment Feasibility
A potential long-term value opportunity lies in brine valorization. Desalination brine contains dissolved minerals such as magnesium, calcium, and trace amounts of lithium. While large-scale commercial lithium recovery from seawater brine remains under development, emerging selective extraction technologies—including Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE)—highlight the potential to convert a concentrated by-product stream into supplementary revenue. Over time, such approaches could enhance the circular economic profile of desalination assets and further align them with ESG objectives.
International Trends and the Greek Landscape
According to “Fortune Business Insights” the global desalination technologies market size was valued at USD 27.8 billion in 2025. The market is projected to be worth USD 30.19 billion in 2026 and reach USD 59.34 billion by 2034, exhibiting a CAGR of 8.85% during the forecast period. Middle East & Africa dominated the desalination technologies industry with a market share of 51.41% in 2025**.
In Greece, 2025 and 2026 have marked an “investment explosion.” The Ministry of Environment recently approved a €75.5 million package for 42 water projects, focusing on islands. Furthermore, large-scale projects in Attica and Crete are attracting cross-border private equity, backed by the growing consensus that water infrastructure is increasingly seen as a defensive, long-term yield asset.
George Papageorgantas, Investment Director of Sirec Energy commented:
For Sirec Energy, desalination presents an opportunity within the Circular Economy. Although Sirec has not yet finalized its initial entry into this sector, it strategically aims to transform desalination plants into “Resource Refineries.”
Desalination is no longer a problem; it is the solution when paired with the right technology. Investing in plants that do not waste 60% of the resource, but instead refine it and reuse it, is the only viable path forward. Sirec Energy, with its proven track record in sustainability and infrastructure, is uniquely positioned to lead this transition. The company is focused on building the infrastructure that will provide safe drinking water for our future without compromising the health of our oceans.
** Source: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/desalination-technologies-market-109806