Can renewables transform Oman’s desalination future?

For Oman, the relationship between energy and water is becoming increasingly important. The Sultanate of Oman has limited natural freshwater resources, while a growing population, expanding cities and industrial development continue to increase demand for reliable water supplies. Desalination has therefore become a central part of the country’s water security strategy.

But desalination requires energy. As Oman expands its renewable-energy capacity, a new question is emerging: can abundant solar and wind resources help make the production of desalinated water more efficient and less carbon intensive?

Oman already has an extensive desalination industry. Desalination plants supply a significant proportion of potable water in the country, particularly in areas where conventional freshwater resources are limited. The challenge is that most large-scale desalination technologies require substantial amounts of electricity or thermal energy.

Reverse osmosis, now widely used in modern desalination plants, works by forcing seawater through specialised membranes at high pressure. It is generally more energy efficient than older thermal desalination technologies, but it still requires a continuous supply of electricity.

This creates a natural connection with renewable energy. Solar power is particularly attractive because Oman receives high levels of solar irradiation for much of the year. Wind resources in areas such as Dhofar and parts of the central and southern regions can provide another source of electricity, helping diversify renewable generation.

The opportunity is not simply to power existing desalination plants with renewable electricity. As new water infrastructure is planned, renewable generation and desalination could increasingly be considered together.

One advantage is that desalination does not necessarily have to operate at exactly the same output every hour. Where water storage is available, production can potentially be increased during periods when renewable electricity is abundant and reduced when electricity is more constrained. This creates an opportunity to use desalination as part of a broader energy-management system.

Large water reservoirs can effectively provide a degree of flexibility. Water produced during periods of high renewable generation can be stored and distributed later according to demand. In this way, the water system can help accommodate fluctuations in solar and wind generation without compromising the reliability of water supplies.

This becomes particularly relevant as Oman increases the share of renewable electricity in its power system. Solar generation is strongest during daylight hours, while electricity demand often rises later in the day. Linking renewable generation with flexible electricity consumers such as desalination could help make better use of periods of abundant clean power.

There is also an economic dimension. Electricity represents a significant component of the operating cost of reverse-osmosis desalination. If renewable electricity can be generated competitively, it could help reduce the long-term energy cost associated with producing water, particularly as solar and wind projects continue to become more efficient.

However, renewable-powered desalination is not without challenges. Desalination plants require dependable electricity and water production cannot simply be interrupted whenever renewable generation falls. Storage, grid connections, backup generation or combinations of renewable technologies may therefore be required to guarantee continuous supply.

The location of desalination facilities is another consideration. Oman’s population centres and industrial zones are spread across a large geographical area, while the strongest renewable resources may be located elsewhere. Transmission infrastructure will therefore play an important role if renewable electricity is to supply water production across the country.

The potential benefits extend beyond drinking water. Desalinated water is also important for industrial development, where large projects require reliable supplies for processing, cooling and other operations. Oman’s expanding industrial zones and emerging green industries could therefore increase demand for both electricity and water at the same time.

This creates an opportunity to plan the two systems together. Renewable-energy projects could be developed alongside water infrastructure, allowing electricity generation, desalination, storage and distribution to operate as parts of a connected system rather than as separate investments.

The environmental benefits could also become increasingly significant. Desalination itself is not inherently high-carbon; its emissions depend largely on the energy used to power the process. Replacing fossil-fuel-based electricity with renewable generation can therefore reduce the carbon intensity of every cubic metre of water produced.

For Oman, where water security and energy security are closely connected, this could become an important part of the country’s transition to a lower-carbon economy.

The long-term opportunity is to move beyond viewing desalination simply as a response to water scarcity. With the right combination of renewable generation, storage, efficient reverse osmosis technology and modern water infrastructure, desalination could become another sector through which Oman makes practical use of its renewable-energy resources.

Oman has invested heavily in securing its future water supply. The next stage could be ensuring that an increasing share of that water is produced using the country’s most abundant natural energy resources: the sun and the wind.