Gaza Central Desalination
Seawater RO, 55 million m3/year in Palestine.
Stalled
Landmark Tendered since 2013 and still unbuilt, the plainest measure of what conflict costs water infrastructure.
The record
- Country
- Palestine
- Location
- Deir al-Balah
- Coordinates
- 31.420, 34.350
- Technology
- Seawater RO
- Capacity
- 55 million m3/year
- Capital cost
- EUR 562.3 m total programme cost (Union for the Mediterranean, March 2018), covering the 55 million m3/year plant, a north-south carrier with a non-revenue water reduction component and an associated solar power installation, converted at EUR 0.8468 per US$ (World Bank official exchange rate, euro area, 2018 average)
- Stage
- Stalled
- Owner or client
- Palestinian Water Authority (PWA)
- Contractor
- —
- Operator
- —
- Finance
- Pledges of EUR 456 million of the EUR 562.3 million required (Brussels conference, March 2018) from donors including the European Union (EUR 70 million for the plant) and an Islamic Development Bank-led consortium of Arab Gulf states (about half the funds); EIB and World Bank among the partners, the World Bank financing associated works (P168739)
- Award or start year
- 2018
- Commissioned
- —
Record last checked 2026-09-04.
History
- 2013-03
EIB launches tender for a EUR 4 million technical assistance contract supporting the PWA on the Gaza seawater desalination project
- 2018-03
Brussels pledging conference on 20 March raises EUR 456 million of the EUR 562.3 million required
- 2023-10
associated works stop after the conflict begins (World Bank, October 2024)
Sources
7 references
Every field in the record above is taken from the references below. A field that none of them confirms prints as a dash.
- Union for the Mediterranean, EIB launches tender for the provision of technical assistance to the construction of the desalination facility for the Gaza Strip, 8 March 2013. ufmsecretariat.org.
- Union for the Mediterranean, Conference for the desalination plant in Gaza, 20 March 2018. ufmsecretariat.org.
- EUR 456 million pledged out of the EUR 562.3 million required; three integrated elements: a 55 million m3 SWRO plant, a north-south conveyance system with a non-revenue water reduction component, and an associated solar power installation; the European Union pledged EUR 70 million for the plant.
- Union for the Mediterranean, Desalination Facility for the Gaza Strip project page. ufmsecretariat.org.
- Total cost EUR 562M; Arab Gulf states through an Islamic Development Bank consortium 50% of required funds; partners include the European Commission, EIB, Islamic Development Bank and World Bank.
- World Bank, Implementation Status and Results Report, Gaza Central Desalination Program Associated Works Phase I (P168739), 30 October 2024. documents1.worldbank.org.
- MENA Water Review major projects register and PPP pipeline — compiled from procurer publications, development-bank project pages and trade reporting; each record names its source.
Since the conflict began in October 2023 most project activities in Gaza have been interrupted and all works stopped. The plant itself is unbuilt, so the row stays pipeline as stalled. The conversion rate and its source are given in the budget note.