China Water Desalination Market Size & Forecast 2025–2033
How China Is Accelerating Toward a Water-Secure Future Through High-Tech Desalination
China is rapidly emerging as a global leader in desalination, driven by escalating freshwater shortages, booming industrialization, and ambitious government initiatives to secure long-term water sustainability. According to Renub Research, the China Water Desalination Market is expected to reach US$ 4.66 billion by 2033, rising from US$ 1.84 billion in 2024, at a CAGR of 10.88% during 2025–2033. With climate stresses mounting and water consumption rising across households, agriculture, and industry, China is turning to advanced desalination technologies as a strategic necessity—not just an option.
China Water Desalination Market Outlook
Water desalination refers to the purification of seawater or brackish water by removing salt and contaminants to make it suitable for drinking, agriculture, and industrial processes. In a world where global climate change is tightening freshwater supplies, desalination stands as one of the few scalable solutions capable of supporting long-term water stability.
Technologies such as reverse osmosis (RO), multi-stage flash (MSF) distillation, multi-effect distillation (MED), and electrodialysis are being deployed across China. These systems convert saline water into potable and industrial-grade water, contributing massively to municipal supply chains, agricultural irrigation in arid regions, and industrial clusters that require substantial process water.
In China, desalination demand is rising sharply due to freshwater scarcity in northern provinces, intense industrial activity, and the government’s expansive sustainability goals. Mega-desalination plants along the southeastern coastline are already transforming urban water security, particularly in cities such as Tianjin, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. With new projects accelerating under national water strategies, China is positioning itself at the forefront of global desalination innovation.
Growth Drivers in the China Water Desalination Market
1. Intensifying Freshwater Shortage
Freshwater scarcity is one of China’s most urgent environmental challenges. The northern provinces, including Hebei, Beijing, and Tianjin, face chronic water deficits due to:
Rapid urban expansion
Industrial water consumption
Uneven water distribution
Limited rainfall in northern regions
Climate models project that by 2050, over 3,000 sub-basins globally will be threatened by water quantity and quality issues, potentially affecting 3 billion people. China is heavily exposed to these risks.
This has pushed policymakers and industries to adopt desalination as a long-term solution. Coastal cities have initiated large-scale desalination programs, integrating purified seawater into residential and industrial supply networks. As the freshwater gap widens, desalination is no longer seen as a backup solution but as a core pillar of China’s water security framework.
2. Government Initiatives and Heavy Investments
China’s government is aggressively promoting desalination as part of its national water sustainability blueprint. Policy support includes:
Direct subsidies
Inclusion in national strategic plans
Streamlined approvals for new plants
Incentives for municipal integration of desalinated water
The 2021 National Action Plan targets a desalination capacity of 3.5 million cubic meters per day by 2025, emphasizing widespread adoption in municipal systems. Meanwhile, the 14th Five-Year Plan highlights China’s ambition to be a global leader in sustainable water technologies.
Coastal provinces such as Tianjin, Shandong, and Zhejiang are becoming desalination hubs with major ongoing and upcoming investments. Incentivized by both environmental urgency and industrial opportunities, China’s desalination market is poised for long-term expansion.
3. Advancements and Innovations in Desalination Technology
China is witnessing rapid technological modernization in desalination, particularly through:
Energy-efficient reverse osmosis membranes
Hybrid systems combining RO with thermal processes
Digital monitoring for performance optimization
Renewable energy integration
In March 2025, ACWA Power—one of the world’s largest private desalination companies—launched its first overseas Innovation Centre in Shanghai, with RMB 20 million (US$ 2.8 million) invested. The center focuses on:
Green hydrogen
Energy storage
Solar & wind solutions
Advanced seawater desalination
Such efforts not only reduce costs but also make large desalination projects more viable and environmentally sustainable.
Challenges Facing the China Desalination Market
1. High Operating and Energy Costs
Despite advances in membrane technology and energy recovery systems, desalination remains energy-intensive. Large-scale plants consume massive electricity outputs, making costs a barrier for:
Inland provinces
Small municipalities
Low-income regions
These energy requirements raise operational expenses and complicate long-term commercial sustainability, especially outside coastal zones.
2. Environmental Concerns
The desalination process generates concentrated brine, which, if improperly discharged, can harm marine ecosystems. China is under rising pressure from environmental regulators and conservation groups to implement sustainable brine disposal and treatment methods.
Balancing environmental protection with the urgent need for freshwater access remains a central challenge.
China Water Desalination Market by Technology
Reverse Osmosis Leads the Market
The RO segment dominates China’s desalination market thanks to:
Lower energy consumption relative to thermal methods
High efficiency in salt removal
Increasing adoption of advanced membrane technologies
RO is preferred for industrial and municipal desalination in coastal cities. As more energy-efficient membranes become available, RO will remain the centerpiece of China’s desalination expansion.
China Water Desalination Market by Application
1. Municipal Water Supply
The municipal segment is expanding rapidly as coastal cities integrate desalinated water into household supply systems. Major plants in Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenzhen, and surrounding regions support millions of residents.
Urbanization and rising living standards are intensifying dependence on desalination as cities seek reliable and clean water sources.
2. Industrial Usage
Industries such as:
Power generation
Petrochemicals
Refining
Manufacturing
require vast quantities of process water. Industrial parks along China’s coastline increasingly rely on desalination to:
Reduce freshwater stress
Support high-volume manufacturing
Ensure operational reliability
In April 2025, SUEZ launched China's largest industrial membrane seawater desalination plant at Wanhua Chemical’s Penglai Industrial Park—an important milestone for industrial sustainability.
China Water Desalination Market by Water Source
1. Seawater (Largest Segment)
China’s long coastline and large coastal population make seawater desalination the leading segment. Major expansion projects are underway in:
Bohai Bay
Yangtze River Delta
Pearl River Delta
These areas serve high-density urban and industrial zones.
2. River and Brackish Water
Inland cities rely more on brackish water and polluted river desalination using:
Electrodialysis
Membrane bioreactors
Hybrid purification systems
These solutions support regions where groundwater and rivers are polluted or saline.
City-Level Market Insights
Shanghai
A major desalination hub supported by:
Extensive industrial base
High urban population
Hybrid technology adoption
Shanghai continues to expand desalination capacity and will host WATERTECH CHINA 2025, the world’s largest water-tech exhibition.
Beijing
Despite being landlocked, Beijing benefits from:
Brackish water desalination
Long-distance transfer of coastal desalinated water
Government-funded emergency water supply programs
Desalination is critical to Beijing’s long-term water security.
Shenzhen
With its booming tech and manufacturing industries, Shenzhen depends heavily on seawater desalination. Massive projects along the South China Sea support both industrial operations and municipal needs.
Chengdu
An inland counterpart to coastal cities, Chengdu focuses on:
Brackish water treatment
High-tech industrial water solutions
Industrial parks rely on desalinated or treated water to maintain production.
Market Segmentation
By Technology
Reverse Osmosis
Multi-Stage Flash (MSF) Distillation
Multi-Effect Distillation (MED)
Others
By Application
Municipal
Industrial
Others
By Water Source
Seawater
Brackish Water
River Water
Others
By City
Shanghai
Beijing
Shenzhen
Chongqing
Guangzhou
Suzhou
Chengdu
Hangzhou
Tianjin
Others
Key Player Analysis
Each company includes: Overview, Key Person, Recent Developments, SWOT Analysis, Revenue Analysis
Guangzhou KangYang Seawater Desalination Equipment Co.
Genesis Water Technologies
Biwater
Aquatics International
IDE Technologies
Acciona SA
SUEZ Environment
Veolia Environment SA
Final Thoughts
China’s desalination market is entering a decisive era. With rising urban populations, rapid industrial growth, and escalating climate stress, water scarcity is becoming a defining challenge of the country’s environmental future. Yet China’s approach—powered by technology, policy direction, and massive investment—is shaping a new model for water sustainability.
By integrating advanced RO systems, promoting green-energy-driven desalination, and establishing large-scale industrial and municipal desalination hubs, China is positioning itself as a global leader in water innovation. As the nation continues to expand capacity and modernize operations, desalination will play an indispensable role in safeguarding water security for hundreds of millions of citizens.
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Janine Root
Janine Root is a skilled content writer with a passion for creating engaging, informative, and SEO-optimized content. She excels in crafting compelling narratives that resonate with audiences and drive results.
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Comments (1)
Thank you for opening the door to such a water-filled future, where the ocean itself is now the source of water, and China holds the key.