Maldives plans first deep-sea desalination project for drinking water
Island nation plans to produce freshwater 500 meters beneath ocean, using natural water pressure to cut energy consumption and overcome chronic land constraints
MALÉ, Maldives (MNTV) — The Maldives is preparing to develop its first underwater desalination plant, taking drinking-water production hundreds of meters beneath the Indian Ocean in a project that could offer the land-scarce island nation a new way to expand freshwater supplies without building large plants onshore.
State-owned Malé Water and Sewerage Company plans to begin producing water from about 500 meters below sea level by the middle of 2027, using subsea desalination technology developed by Norwegian company FLOCEAN. The project is currently undergoing financial and technical feasibility studies.
Unlike conventional desalination plants, which pump seawater into facilities on land and use substantial energy to force it through filtration membranes, the proposed system would place much of that process deep underwater.
At 500 meters, natural ocean pressure can help drive seawater through the desalination system, reducing the amount of electricity required.
For the Maldives, the technology could address two persistent constraints at once: the high energy requirements of desalination and the severe shortage of land available for infrastructure across its densely populated islands.
MWSC Managing Director Hussain Fahumy said deep ocean water also contains fewer contaminants that can clog filtration membranes, potentially reducing maintenance requirements. Waste brine left after desalination can be released at depth rather than transported from an onshore facility for disposal.
MWSC is working with FLOCEAN, which specializes in subsea desalination technology and is developing the system in Norway. Maldivian engineers are expected to visit Norway for technical training and to study the technology as preparations advance.
The company is assessing the investment required before moving into full implementation, but Fahumy said MWSC aims to have the system producing water by the middle of next year.
The project could eventually become part of a broader overhaul of water infrastructure around the capital. MWSC also plans to lay pipelines along the Thilamalé Bridge to carry water between Malé, Hulhumalé and developing areas farther west.
Under those plans, new water-storage infrastructure would be established in either Thilafushi or Gulhifalhu, allowing supplies to be distributed to the capital region and the new commercial port. MWSC is discussing with the government whether that work can begin before construction of the bridge is completed.
Freshwater security is an acute challenge for the Maldives, whose small, low-lying islands have limited groundwater reserves and little space for large utility infrastructure. Moving part of the desalination process offshore could therefore provide the country with a new model for expanding water production as demand rises.
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