The prolonged drought in Europe is causing severe water scarcity, and Barcelona is not immune to its effects. To address the issue, authorities are planning to install a floating desalination plant in the Port of Barcelona. With a capacity of 40,000 m3 of water per day, this plant will provide a sustainable solution to the city’s water needs.
Barcelona previously relied on Europe’s largest desalination plant, Llobregat, but it is unable to meet the current demands due to the prolonged drought. The government believes that floating desalination plants are a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution compared to transporting water from other sources.
The floating desalination plant will be operational if the Catalonia region’s water collection system reaches a stage 2 emergency drought, which is expected before October. In addition to the plant in Barcelona, there will be 12 mobile desalination plants in the northern Costa Brava region to meet the water supply needs in that area.
The floating desalination plant is expected to produce about 6% of the water consumption in the Barcelona metropolitan area, equivalent to 14 million m3 of water per year. The cost of producing water using this plant is significantly lower than using transport ships, making it a cost-effective solution for the city.
With increasing temperatures and drought conditions in Europe, sustainable water solutions like the floating desalination plant in Barcelona are essential. This plant will not only help alleviate the water shortage in the city but also contribute to environmental conservation efforts.
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