Water security & desalination KPIs by sector (with ranges)

Opening stat hook: The European desalination market reached $6.18 billion in 2024—approximately 30% of the $20.6 billion global market—while 34% of EU territory now experiences seasonal water scarcity affecting over 30% of the population annually (European Environment Agency, 2025). Spain alone has committed €23 billion to double its desalination and water reuse capacity by 2027.

Why It Matters

Water security has emerged as a critical infrastructure priority across Europe, driven by climate-induced drought intensification, aging distribution networks, and growing industrial demand. The June 2025 EU Water Resilience Strategy establishes a comprehensive policy framework built on three pillars: restoring the water cycle, building a water-smart economy, and ensuring clean, affordable water for all. For procurement professionals, understanding sector-specific KPIs is essential for vendor evaluation, contract structuring, and performance monitoring.

The stakes are substantial: only 37% of EU surface water bodies achieve good ecological status, while annual water abstraction exceeds 200,000 million cubic meters and continues increasing. Desalination capacity grew 40% globally from 2020-2025, with Europe participating significantly in this expansion. Critical infrastructure resilience requirements under the CER (Critical Entities Resilience) and NIS2 directives apply to water sector operations from 2025, adding cybersecurity and operational continuity dimensions to procurement specifications.

The energy-water nexus defines desalination economics: current reverse osmosis (RO) technology consumes 2.5-3 kWh/m³ typically, with best-in-class installations achieving 1.794 kWh/m³ (DESALRO 2.0 project, Canary Islands, February 2025). This 40%+ efficiency gap between typical and best practice represents a primary procurement lever for cost control and environmental performance.

Key Concepts

Energy Consumption Benchmarking

Energy represents 40-60% of desalination operating costs, making energy consumption per cubic meter the most critical operational KPI. The theoretical thermodynamic minimum approaches 1 kWh/m³, but practical requirements for pumping, pre-treatment, and brine discharge push working minimums to 1.8-1.9 kWh/m³. Procurement specifications should establish baseline and target energy consumption with clear measurement protocols and incentive/penalty structures tied to performance.

Water Quality Parameters

Produced water quality varies significantly based on feedwater salinity, treatment train design, and membrane condition. Key parameters include: total dissolved solids (TDS), boron concentration (critical for agricultural reuse), bromide levels (affecting disinfection byproduct formation), and pathogen removal certification. Specifications must align with intended use—potable, industrial, or agricultural—with appropriate monitoring frequency and reporting requirements.

Brine Management and Environmental Compliance

Brine discharge represents the primary environmental impact of desalination operations. Discharge concentration (typically 1.5-2x feedwater salinity), volume, temperature differential, and chemical additives require monitoring against permit limits. Nature-based solutions for brine mitigation, including constructed wetlands and salt-tolerant agriculture, offer compliance pathways with co-benefits but require additional land and capital.

Sector-Specific KPI Table

Sector	Primary KPI	Target Range	Best Practice	Red Flag
Municipal Potable	Energy Intensity	2.5-3.5 kWh/m³	<2.0 kWh/m³	>4.0 kWh/m³
	Availability Factor	92-97%	>98%	<90%
	TDS	<500 mg/L	<200 mg/L	>1,000 mg/L
Industrial Process	Water Purity	Sector-specific	Ultrapure (<1 μS/cm)	Fails spec
	Recovery Rate	40-50%	>60%	<35%
	Chemical Consumption	5-15 mg/L	<5 mg/L	>25 mg/L
Agricultural Reuse	Boron Concentration	<0.5 mg/L	<0.3 mg/L	>1.0 mg/L
	SAR (Sodium Adsorption)	<6	<3	>9
	Seasonal Availability	>95% peak	100% peak	<90% peak
Critical Infrastructure	Cybersecurity Maturity	NIS2 compliant	NIST CSF Level 3	Pre-NIS2
	Redundancy Factor	N+1 minimum	N+2	Single point failure
	Backup Power Duration	24-72 hours	>168 hours	<8 hours

What's Working

Renewable Energy Integration

Leading desalination projects increasingly integrate renewable energy to address both cost and carbon concerns. The Barka V plant in Oman derives 11% of energy from a 6.3 MW solar installation, while the UAE's Hassyan facility operates as the world's second-largest RO plant with 100% solar power sourcing. European installations are following this trajectory, with Spain's new capacity increasingly paired with solar PV or grid-connected renewable purchasing agreements.

The economics are compelling: solar PV electricity costs have dropped to €30-50/MWh in southern Europe, compared to €80-120/MWh for grid power in many Mediterranean locations. Procurement specifications increasingly require renewable energy percentage thresholds or carbon intensity limits (kgCO₂/m³) that favor integrated renewable solutions.

Barcelona's Drought Response

Barcelona increased desalination production by 33% during 2024 drought conditions, demonstrating infrastructure resilience when conventional sources failed. The city's Llobregat and El Prat desalination plants, with combined capacity exceeding 200,000 m³/day, provided critical supply during restrictions that otherwise would have required severe rationing. The experience validated investments made over the previous decade and accelerated planning for additional capacity.

European Investment Bank Water Program

The EIB's multi-billion euro water infrastructure financing program provides concessional terms for resilience investments, reducing capital costs for desalination and water reuse projects. The Blue Mediterranean Partnership, established in 2024 with over €1 billion committed, specifically targets sustainable water solutions across Mediterranean regions experiencing the most acute scarcity pressures.

What's Not Working

Brine Disposal Challenges

Concentrated brine disposal remains the Achilles heel of desalination expansion. Mediterranean locations face particular challenges due to enclosed sea characteristics and existing environmental pressures. Permit delays for brine diffuser systems regularly add 12-24 months to project timelines, while environmental advocates increasingly challenge discharge approvals through litigation.

Procurement teams must evaluate vendor brine management approaches rigorously: diffuser design, discharge modeling, monitoring commitments, and contingency plans for permit modification. Projects assuming straightforward brine disposal increasingly face cost overruns and schedule delays.

Membrane Fouling and Performance Degradation

Membrane replacement represents 15-25% of lifecycle operating costs, with performance degradation between replacements affecting energy consumption and water quality. Mediterranean feedwater characteristics—high organic loading, algal bloom exposure, and seasonal temperature variation—accelerate fouling compared to open ocean intakes.

Performance guarantees should specify not just initial specifications but degradation trajectories with associated energy and quality thresholds triggering remedial action or membrane replacement at vendor cost.

Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities

Water infrastructure cybersecurity maturity significantly lags other critical sectors. NIS2 directive requirements, applicable from 2025, impose new obligations for which many operators are unprepared. SCADA systems controlling desalination processes often rely on legacy protocols with known vulnerabilities, while IT/OT network segmentation remains inadequate.

Procurement specifications must include cybersecurity requirements aligned with NIS2 minimum standards, with verification through independent assessment. Attack surface analysis, incident response planning, and security-by-design principles should feature in technical specifications.

Key Players

Established Leaders

Veolia Water Technologies operates the largest global portfolio of desalination assets, with significant European presence including Spanish, Italian, and Mediterranean island installations. The company's 2024 commitment to double operated desalination capacity by 2030 indicates substantial growth investment.

SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions provides membrane systems, chemicals, and digital solutions across the desalination value chain. The company's ZeeWeed membrane technology and digital twin capabilities feature in leading European installations.

IDE Technologies specializes in large-scale desalination engineering and construction, with proprietary MAXH₂O desalter technology achieving record-low energy consumption. The company's European projects include partnerships with local utilities and engineering firms.

Acciona leads Spanish market desalination development and operation, with expertise in renewable energy integration reflecting parent company capabilities. Recent projects demonstrate solar-powered desalination at scale.

Emerging Startups

Desolenator develops solar thermal desalination technology targeting off-grid and emergency applications, with potential for distributed deployment in coastal communities lacking grid infrastructure.

Saltworks Technologies provides advanced brine concentration and zero liquid discharge solutions addressing the brine disposal bottleneck through volume reduction technology.

Oneka Technologies commercializes wave-powered desalination units for island and coastal deployment, offering renewable-integrated solutions at smaller scales.

Key Investors & Funders

European Investment Bank provides cornerstone financing for European water infrastructure with favorable terms for climate adaptation projects.

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) recently committed €250 million for Tunisia's Sfax desalination project, demonstrating continued bilateral financing appetite.

World Bank Group finances water security projects in Mediterranean partner countries, with increasing focus on climate-resilient infrastructure.

Examples

1. Spain's €23 Billion Water Security Investment: Spain's 2024 water plan commits €23 billion to double national desalination and water reuse capacity by 2027, representing the largest European water infrastructure investment program. The plan prioritizes Andalusia, Murcia, and Catalonia—regions facing acute scarcity—with procurement processes emphasizing energy efficiency, renewable integration, and environmental performance. Barcelona's experience during 2024 drought conditions directly informed investment prioritization.

2. Morocco EIB-Financed Agadir Project: The European Investment Bank's €500 million financing package for Morocco includes substantial water infrastructure investment, with the Agadir desalination PPP demonstrating cross-Mediterranean cooperation model. The project integrates renewable energy sourcing, agricultural reuse for regional food production, and innovative financing structures combining concessional lending with commercial participation.

3. DESALRO 2.0 Energy Efficiency Achievement: The Canary Islands DESALRO 2.0 project achieved 1.794 kWh/m³ energy consumption in February 2025—establishing a new benchmark for operational efficiency. The installation combines advanced pressure exchangers, optimized membrane configuration, and renewable energy integration to demonstrate that sub-2 kWh/m³ operation is commercially achievable. Procurement specifications for new projects increasingly reference this benchmark as the target for energy performance.

Action Checklist

• Establish energy intensity specifications with baseline (<3 kWh/m³), target (<2.5 kWh/m³), and stretch (<2 kWh/m³) thresholds linked to performance incentives
• Require NIS2-compliant cybersecurity documentation as mandatory qualification criteria for all water infrastructure vendors
• Include brine management performance bonds with environmental compliance contingencies in contract terms
• Specify membrane performance degradation curves with remediation trigger thresholds and associated vendor obligations
• Mandate renewable energy integration roadmaps with minimum percentage thresholds escalating over contract term
• Require independent third-party verification of claimed energy consumption and water quality performance

FAQ

Q: How should procurement teams evaluate vendor energy consumption claims given measurement variability? A: Require standardized measurement protocols specifying: boundary conditions (intake to product), normalization factors (temperature, salinity, recovery rate), measurement frequency, and independent verification. Reference ISO 16075 for water reuse applications. Discount vendor claims not substantiated by third-party operational data from comparable installations.

Q: What contract structures best align vendor incentives with operational efficiency? A: Performance-based contracts with energy-indexed pricing share benefits and risks appropriately. Specify baseline consumption with efficiency improvement targets over contract term, linking payments to verified performance. Include technology refresh provisions allowing membrane and equipment upgrades without full retendering.

Q: How do nature-based solutions complement desalination infrastructure? A: NBS for brine mitigation (constructed wetlands, halophyte agriculture) reduce discharge impacts while potentially generating co-products. Managed aquifer recharge provides buffering capacity integrating desalinated water with natural systems. Procurement should evaluate hybrid approaches where suitable land and conditions exist, recognizing longer implementation timelines.

Q: What redundancy levels should specifications require for critical water supply? A: Municipal potable applications should specify N+1 minimum redundancy for all critical components, with N+2 for highest-criticality installations. Backup power duration should exceed 72 hours for critical facilities. Geographic distribution of capacity across multiple sites provides resilience against localized failures.

Q: How should water quality specifications vary by intended use? A: Potable: prioritize TDS, disinfection byproduct precursors, and pathogen removal. Industrial: specify conductivity, silica, and process-specific contaminants. Agricultural: emphasize boron, sodium adsorption ratio, and chloride for crop compatibility. Include seasonal variation allowances where agricultural demand patterns permit.

Sources

• European Environment Agency (2025). Water savings for a water-resilient Europe
• European Commission (2025). Water Resilience Strategy COM(2025) 280
• Cognitve Market Research (2024). Global Water Desalination Plant Market Report
• International Desalination and Reuse Association (2025). Energy-efficient desalination continues to drive water security strategies
• European Investment Bank (2024). Blue Mediterranean Partnership investment program
• EU Blue Economy Observatory (2024). Desalination sector overview