The global water desalination equipment market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.5%, from 2021 to 2026. It is estimated to be USD 7.1 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 11.2 billion by 2026. The factors driving the growth for water desalination equipment are water scarcity and depletion of freshwater sources across the globe and rapid urbanization and industrialization in developing economies.

Middle East & Africa is expected to dominate the global water desalination equipment market

The Middle East & Africa region is estimated to be the largest market for the water desalination equipment, followed by APAC. The APAC region is also projected to be the fastest-growing market during the forecast period. Government initiatives towards the increased investment in water & wastewater management sectors, owing to the limited availability of consumable water and the rapidly increasing population are the factors driving the water desalination equipment market in the Middle East & Africa region.

Key Market Players

The leading players in the global water desalination equipment market include Suez Water Technologies & Solutions (US), Veolia Water Technologies (France), DuPont (US), LG Chem (Korea), Toray Industries, Inc. (Japan), Sulzer (Switzerland) and Wärtsilä (Finland).

Suez Water Technologies & Solutions, the business unit of Suez Group, is a global provider of water treatment technologies and solutions to various industries. The portfolio of Suez Water Technologies & Solutions includes biological treatment services, accelerator clarifier, disinfection products and services, electrolysis and bipolar electrodialysis products and services, evaporators, crystallizers, and spiral wound membranes, reverse osmosis desalination systems and membrane chemicals.

DuPont is a manufacturer and a global supplier of technology-based products and solutions such as construction materials, fabrics, fibers, personal protective equipment, adhesives, resins, solar/photovoltaic materials, packaging material & solutions, water solutions, and electronic solutions. DuPont offers RO membranes through the Safety & Construction business segment, under the water solution product line. Additionally, the water solutions product line includes ion exchange resins, nanofiltration elements, ultrafiltration modules, and water purification & filtration technologies.

The water desalination equipment market, by technology, is segmented reverse osmosis (RO), multi-stage flash distillation (MSF), multiple-effect distillation (MED), and others. The reverse osmosis segment is estimated to have the largest market share and is expected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period. The technology is popular in developing countries due to its simple design and operation, as well as low cost. The demand for RO technology is expected to grow in the coming years owing to its low installation cost, easy processing, ability to treat all types of feed water, and minimal use of chemicals.

The water desalination equipment market, by application, is segmented into municipal, industrial, and others. The municipal segment holds the largest share in the water desalination equipment market, followed by industrial. The growth in population, migration of people from rural to urban regions, scarcity of consumable water, and depletion of freshwater sources across the globe have surged the need for desalinated water. This has encouraged the governments of developing economies to invest in the water treatment sector to enhance their capabilities related to providing potable water and accommodate the increasing demand. These factors are likely to fuel the adoption of desalination equipment in the municipal segment.

The water desalination equipment market, by product, is segmented into membranes, pumps, evaporators, and others, which includes pressure vessels, energy recovery devices, and chemicals. The membranes segment accounted for a 28.4% share of the water desalination equipment market in 2020. The characteristic of the membranes to have high permeability to water and impermeability to dissolved salts and particulate matter has made them ideal for use in municipal applications. Furthermore, various technological advancements have enabled membrane providers to manufacture RO membranes for certain industries explicitly. This has led to an increase in the adoption of RO desalination technology in industrial applications.