Egypt and Cyprus are strengthening their partnership in water management and desalination to tackle common issues related to water scarcity. In a recent video conference, Egypt’s Deputy Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, Sayed Ismail, engaged with officials from the Cypriot Embassy in Egypt and representatives from Cyprus’s water sector. The discussion centered on sharing expertise and enhancing desalination initiatives to secure sustainable water resources.
Egypt is achieving significant advancements in desalination, currently operating 125 plants with a total daily capacity of 1.31 million cubic meters. The nation aims to expand this capacity considerably, targeting 2.7 million cubic meters per day by 2030 and reaching 9 million cubic meters daily by 2050.
Through public-private partnerships (PPP), Egypt is initiating new desalination projects, incorporating advanced technologies, and collaborating with investors to boost sustainability and efficiency. The government is also focused on reducing costs by investigating renewable energy solutions for desalination.
On the other hand, Cyprus faces its own water challenges. To combat water shortages, the Cypriot government announced last December plans to increase its desalination capacity, which includes four mobile desalination units for rapid relief. The expected investment for these new units is around €66.4 million.
Cyprus currently operates five permanent desalination plants that produce 235,000 cubic meters of water daily. Plans are underway to build two new permanent desalination facilities in the next three to four years, alongside upgrades to current plants.
The Deputy Minister stressed Egypt’s eagerness to exchange knowledge and share successful experiences with Cyprus, particularly in the areas of seawater desalination, drinking water systems, and wastewater treatment. He also highlighted the significant investments made in partnership with various development partners and investors to advance these initiatives.
Cypriot officials commended Egypt’s advancements in desalination and expressed a desire to enhance bilateral cooperation. Both sides reiterated their commitment to sharing knowledge and working together on future desalination projects.
Source :Zawya
