Filenews 2 June 2025 - by Angelos Nicolaou
The arrival of mobile desalination plants from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) brings a significant boost to the management of the critical water situation in Cyprus, with their installation starting immediately at the Moni Power Station.
The units, worth a total of €20 million, were offered free of charge by the UAE as part of a transnational partnership, and have already arrived in Cyprus.
The project for their installation and operation has been assigned, through a negotiation process on the basis of legalized procedures, to a contractor who will receive a total remuneration of approximately €2 million, in the framework of the TAY Contract 32/2025.
The contractor has many years of experience in the field of desalination in Cyprus and abroad.
The contractor has assumed full responsibility for the execution of critical technical works, including the transfer of the units from the port of Larnaca to the station area, their installation and interconnection, the construction of the necessary civil and electromechanical infrastructure, as well as the operation and maintenance of the units for the uninterrupted production of drinking water.
At the same time, the Water Development Department (TAY) is implementing a series of complementary projects, such as the construction of a new pumping station, the installation of pipelines and the strengthening of underwater infrastructure for seawater abstraction.
The Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) participates in the construction of substations for the energy support of the facilities.
The three entities, the contractor, TAY and EAC, are working in parallel and simultaneously to deliver water within June. It is estimated that desalination will be in the area of the Monastery only until the end of 2026.
According to the current plan, units with a total capacity of 13,650 cubic meters per day will be installed in Limassol and 1,350 cubic meters in Paphos. In addition, a new unit with a capacity of 2,000 cubic meters will be installed in Paphos.
The TAY, in collaboration with technicians from the UAE who have been in Cyprus since the beginning of May, has already proceeded with preliminary works so that the units can be put into operation by the end of June.
The planning remains dynamic, with a provision for further installation of mobile units within 2025, as well as for the implementation of permanent solutions.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, in a statement, expressed its warm thanks to the UAE for its generous contribution and support to Cyprus during this difficult period.
As noted, the agreement is the fruit of an active foreign policy and substantially strengthens the strategic cooperation between the two countries.
