Israel to build world's biggest desalination plants
21 Jun 2010
The Israeli cabinet approved on Sunday a plan to build two of the biggest reverse osmosis desalination plants in the world. To be constructed in the Sorek region the150 million cubic meters (mcm) of water per year plants would double desalinated water production in Israel.
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| Image: Mekorot |
At 127mcm, Israel's Hadera plant is currently the biggest in the world. It began operations this year.
Saudia Arabia has bigger desalination plants, but these employ a different and more expensive technology.
The two newly approved plants are scheduled to begin operations in 2013 and would double the amount of desalinated water produced in Israel.
The plants are the result of a government decision to produce 750 mcm desalinated water annually by 2020. When the new plants go on stream water production in Israel will reach about 700 mcm per year.
Israel has three desalination plants currently in operation: Palmahim (45 mcm), Ashkelon (110 mcm) and Hadera (127 mcm).