The launch of the tender process for the construction of the permanent desalination plant in Monagroulli is now the main objective of the Water Development Department for the Limassol district. The Director of the Department, Eliana Tofa, expressed the view that, provided all necessary approvals are secured, the procedure could move forward within 2027.
Speaking to “Entrepreneurial Limassol”, Ms. Tofa stated that the need for a permanent desalination plant in Limassol has been a concern for the Department for several years and has become particularly pressing over the past two years, as the district’s water needs make it necessary to secure additional water quantities through desalination. As she explained, the selected site is located near the Limassol Sewerage Board’s wastewater treatment plant in the wider Eastern Limassol area, a location considered suitable due to its proximity to the existing water supply infrastructure.
Ms. Tofa noted that the Council of Ministers had already taken relevant decisions last October, recognizing the need for a permanent desalination plant for Limassol. According to the planning, procedures for identifying and securing the required land for both the plant and the pipelines connecting it to the existing networks have already progressed. By the end of the year, the Water Development Department will proceed with the preparation of the necessary environmental and techno-economic studies, as well as all preliminary works required for the project’s maturation. The objective is to complete the plant by 2029, as part of the Department’s strategy for permanent water supply solutions.
The new plant will have a production capacity of 60,000 cubic metres of water per day, while its construction cost is estimated at €80 million. The project will be implemented through a Public-Private Partnership, with the private investor undertaking its operation and maintenance for a period of 25 years. The project requires the expropriation of privately owned land covering a total area of 45,447 square metres within the community of Monagroulli.
Referring to the interim projects being promoted until the permanent solutions are completed, Ms. Tofa stated that the floating desalination unit in Germasogeia remains under consideration, despite financial reservations expressed by the Ministry of Finance due to its high cost. She clarified that the project has not been abandoned, as it continues to be regarded as important for strengthening the water balance during the critical transitional period.
As she explained, the cost of producing water from floating desalination units amounts to approximately €4 per cubic metre, compared to around €1.50 per cubic metre in conventional desalination plants. Nevertheless, the option remains on the table as an alternative solution should hydrological conditions or irrigation needs make it necessary. Regarding the existing projects, the mobile desalination unit at Garyllis has already been put into operation and, since the beginning of June, has been contributing 10,000 cubic metres of water daily to Limassol’s water supply network. At the same time, the mobile desalination unit at Episkopi is progressing according to schedule, with the Department estimating that it will become operational by the end of September, also providing 10,000 cubic metres per day, while the possibility of increasing its capacity to 15,000 cubic metres is being examined.
