Cyprus Cabinet approves three desalination plants: four facilities to provide 180,000 cubic metres of water per day

The Cyprus Cabinet has approved the construction of three new permanent desalination plants. They will be located in Dekelia, with a capacity of 80,000 cubic metres of water per day; Agia Thekla, with a capacity of 30,000 cubic metres; and Polis Chrysochous, with a capacity of 10,000 cubic metres.

Together with the previously approved plant in eastern Limassol, designed to produce 60,000 cubic metres per day, the four facilities will provide 180,000 cubic metres of water per day. Authorities describe the decision as another significant step towards strengthening the island’s water security.

Some previous plans have meanwhile been revised. The mobile plant that was to be installed in Ayia Napa has been cancelled and will be replaced by a permanent station in Agia Thekla. The floating plant in Germasogeia has been postponed and will be revisited later, once water needs, the state of reserves and the project’s cost have been assessed.

The decisions form part of the six-year desalination plan for 2025–2031. At the same time, a long-term programme through 2050 is being prepared: the Water Development Department will conduct a strategic study into whether Cyprus can meet 100% of its drinking water needs through desalination. Final decisions on the long-term plan will be taken after the study is completed.

Desalination has already become Cyprus’s main source of water, accounting for around 80% of consumption. The island has five permanent plants — in Dekelia, Larnaca, Vasiliko, Episkopi and Paphos — as well as mobile stations, with total production amounting to approximately 245,000 cubic metres per day. Relying on desalination reduces the water supply’s dependence on rainfall and reservoir levels.