Mobile desalination units from the United Arab Emirates arrived in Cyprus over the weekend and were transported to Limassol and Paphos, just in time to help the island meet soaring water demand during the summer tourist season.
Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou was on site at Larnaca port on Saturday for the units’ unloading. “They arrived right on time,” she posted online, confirming that the transfer to Limassol began around midday on Monday.
A total of 13,650 cubic meters of desalinated water per day is expected to be produced by units going to Limassol. Paphos will receive one unit producing 1,350 c.m. daily, plus another new unit with a 2,000-c.m. capacity.
Additional installations are already under way in Garyllis and Limassol Port, as well as Kissonerga and Kouklia in Paphos, bringing the total planned desalination capacity to 25,000 c.m. per day.
The mobile plants are part of an urgent response to Cyprus’ deepening water crisis, as dam levels fall and drought conditions worsen. Authorities say more mobile units are planned for 2025, alongside longer-term solutions. Still, experts have warned that Mediterranean seawater’s higher salt concentration could pose problems.