Shanghai Electric Achieves Remarkable Fifth Position in Global Water Desalination Capacity Rankings

Shanghai Electric has made impressive progress in the global water desalination sector, now ranking fifth worldwide for newly built seawater desalination projects for 2024 and 2025. This leap in status, moving up four positions, reflects the company's commitment to innovation and effective project execution in addressing the increasing challenges of global water scarcity. This recognition stems from recent statistics released by the International Desalination and Reuse Association (IDRA) and Global Water Intelligence (GWI), showcasing the company’s advancements in desalination technology.

Overview of Desalination Advances

According to data covering the last decade (2016-2025), Shanghai Electric has also risen to eighth place in terms of total project capacity, reflecting a three-position improvement. IDRA, established in 1973, and GWI, a leading provider of water market intelligence for the past 20 years, have both recognized the advancements made by Shanghai Electric. The organization's spokesperson credited the improved ranking to the robust international support for their desalination expertise and project execution capabilities. This is rooted in over a decade’s focus on developing both thermal and membrane-based technologies.

Dual Technology Leadership

Shanghai Electric stands out as one of the few companies globally that excel in the top two desalination technologies: Multi-Effect Distillation (MED) and Reverse Osmosis (RO). These dual technologies enable the company to provide comprehensive solutions for desalination, extending its applications beyond independent water supply to various industrial needs. By smartly integrating waste heat recovery and resource utilization, Shanghai Electric offers energy-efficient, high-performance desalination solutions. Custom systems ensure a stable supply of high-quality freshwater for critical coastal industries such as energy generation, steel production, and chemical manufacturing.

Notable Projects

Among its highlights is the Hengyi PMB Petrochemical Project in Brunei, recognized for having a daily capacity of 3 × 12,500 tons. This project employs the world's first low-temperature MED combined with instantaneous hot water evaporation, featuring fully independent intellectual property rights. In China, the Zhejiang Petroleum Chemical Co. Ltd. project represents the largest thermal desalination project executed by Shanghai Electric, boasting an overall capacity of 305,000 tons per day in its initial phases, leveraging advanced heat recovery technologies.

The Yulong Petrochemical Project in Yantai showcases another significant achievement, employing innovative hybrid technology that integrates thermal and membrane processes. This project, with a capacity of 160,000 tons daily, achieves eco-friendly, low-carbon water production while maximizing resource efficiency through a cascading use of low-temperature waste heat. Notably, it stands as the world’s largest hybrid thermal-membrane seawater desalination project.

Future Prospects

Looking ahead, Shanghai Electric is committed to leveraging its complete technological portfolio and extensive global project expertise to provide sustainable, eco-friendly, and economical water solutions to clients worldwide. The company aims to tackle the global water scarcity challenge using its innovative capabilities, integrating Chinese wisdom with advanced technological solutions. Shanghai Electric remains dedicated to providing high-quality water solutions while setting new benchmarks in the desalination industry.

For further information, visit Shanghai Electric's official website.