Desalination plant renovation: Plan Renove desalination plant in the Canary Islands
In the Canary Islands, many desalination plants have been in operation for decades. These old desalination plants often operate with obsolete technologies that involve a high energy consumption, and lower efficiency, and costly maintenance. The desalination plant renovation The old system has become essential to improve performance, reduce costs and ensure a long-term sustainable water supply in the archipelago.
In order to meet this challenge, the concept of a Renewal Plan for desalination plants. This plan consists of a comprehensive modernisation of the old facilities with the latest technologies in reverse osmosis and energy recovery. The approach combines technical improvements (new pumps, energy recuperators, automation) with a clear economic benefit (electricity savings and fewer breakdowns). In the following, we explore the differences between old and modern desalination plants, the technical and operational advantages of the upgrade, a case study of savings achieved and the financing options for undertaking the upgrade, a case study of savings achieved and the financing options for undertaking the upgrade. desalination plant renovation Canary Islands in a cost-effective way.
Old vs. modern desalination plant: consumption, efficiency and maintenance
The difference between a desalination plant built 20-30 years ago and a state-of-the-art plant is remarkable. In terms of specific energy consumption, In terms of efficiency, recovery efficiency and maintenance needs, the improvements have been radical. The following comparison summarises the main aspects:
| Aspect | Desalination plant Antigua | Modern Desalination Plant |
|---|---|---|
| Energy consumption | 3-5 kWh/m³ with traditional recovery; up to ~8 kWh/m³ without effective recovery (very old plants) | ≈2 kWh/m³ using state-of-the-art isobaric energy recovery (less than half of historical consumption) |
| Recovery efficiency | ~85% of energy recovered with Pelton turbines (max. ~90% with older turbo-chargers) | 95-98% of the energy recovered with modern isobaric devices (e.g., pressure exchangers type Danfoss iSave) |
| High pressure pump | Conventional centrifugal pump (moderate efficiency, especially in small plants) | High-efficiency axial piston pump (+20% efficiency in small plants), integrated with recuperator (compact iSave designs) |
| Maintenance requirements | High: bulky equipment with parts subject to wear and tear, frequent adjustments (belts, alignments) and downtime due to recurrent breakdowns. | Low: compact, modular design with fewer critical components (no belts, less vibration), extending service intervals |
| Control and automation | Manual or semi-automatic operation, with little instrumentation and no detailed remote monitoring. | Automated and remote-controlled system: sensors, SCADA and real-time adjustments optimise the process, facilitating remote monitoring and preventive detection of incidents. |
(Table 1: Comparison between a classic and a modernised desalination plant in terms of energy consumption, efficiency and maintenance).
As we can see in the comparison, a modernised desalination plant achieves much lower energy consumption thanks to more efficient equipment and advanced energy recovery. In addition, today's systems allow full automation and require fewer maintenance outages, improving continuity of service.
Technical and operational advantages of renovation
Renovating an old desalination plant with current technology brings numerous technical and operational benefits. The main advantages are highlighted below:
Maximum energy efficiency: Modern systems incorporate energy recuperators high efficiency isobarics (up to 95-98% recovery) and more efficient high pressure pumps. This results in very low specific consumption, around 2 kWh/m³ or even lower, significantly reducing the energy per cubic metre produced. In other words, low consumption and higher yields per kilowatt invested.
State-of-the-art energy recovery: Devices such as the Danfoss iSave integrate the isobaric pressure exchanger, booster pump and motor in a single unit. Thanks to this 3-in-1 design, up to 94% of energy efficiency is achieved in the recovery stage, using the pressure of the reject (brine) to drive the feed water. This reduces the workload on the main pump and can improve overall plant efficiency by an additional 10-30% over older technologies.
Automated and intelligent control: Renovated desalination plants usually include automation and PLC/SCADA control that adjust the operating conditions in real time. For example, frequency converters in pumps, automatic valves and in-line sensors allow operation to be adapted to demand and incoming water quality. In addition, remote control via the Internet facilitates remote monitoring and preventive diagnostics. This improves the operational reliability, The system can detect and warn of deviations (pressure, flow, salinity) before they become serious failures.
Lower maintenance costs and higher reliability: Modernisation means more modern equipment reliable and robust, designed with fewer moving parts subject to failure. For example, new axial piston pumps do not require belt drives (fewer failure points) and offer long intervals between overhauls. Advanced materials (duplex steels, composites) better resist corrosion and fouling. All this reduces unscheduled downtime and lowers spare parts and repair costs, optimising the maintenance of desalination plants on a day-to-day basis.
Modularity and adaptability: Current solutions are often presented in compact modules or even containerised plants. This allows for scalable capacity expansion by adding modules, easy integration of renewable energies, or relocation of equipment as needed. The modularity It also facilitates installation in confined spaces and the standardisation of spare parts. For example, it is possible to assemble compact skids with a capacity of a few hundred m³/day up to modular trains with a combined capacity of tens of thousands of m³/day. The flexibility is much greater than with the old stationary plants.
In summary, technical improvements (high-efficiency recuperators, advanced pumps, automation) result in simpler, more reliable and cost-effective operations. The modernised plant not only consumes less energy, but also offers higher operational security, The water quality requirements and demand variations can be better adapted to the water demand and quality requirements.
Example case: energy savings achieved
To illustrate the impact of a desalination plant renovation plan, Let's look at a hypothetical case based on real data. Let's imagine an old plant in the Canary Islands, with a production of 1,000 m³ of desalinated water per day:
Before (old plant): Specific consumption ~4.5 kWh/m³. For 1,000 m³/day, this amounts to approx. 4,500 kWh per day, or about 1.64 million kWh per year. The high-pressure pumps of the past, without efficient recovery systems, require this large amount of energy.
After (renovated plant): Specific consumption ~2.08 kWh/m³. The same production of 1,000 m³/day would consume only 2,080 kWh per day, emissions, approximately 0.76 million kWh per year. Thanks to the isobaric energy recovery units and new equipment, the plant uses approximately half of energy than before.
Savings achieved: The difference is ~2,420 kWh less per day (a 46-50% reduction in consumption). In one year, this is equivalent to ~884,000 kWh saved. If we consider an electricity cost of 0.10 €/kWh, the economic savings would be of the order of 88,000 per year Modernisation practically pays for itself with such a reduction in energy costs!
It is important to note that this example is representative; in practice, savings may vary depending on the initial state of the plant and the price of energy. However, actual cases of retrofit desalination plants achieving savings of 50-60% consumption after modernisation. For example, in independent tests, retrofitting a plant with modern pumps and ERDs reduced energy consumption by 57%. These figures show the enormous potential for improvement: a plant manager can go from spending almost twice as much on electricity to cutting electricity costs by half after a renovation plan well executed.
In addition to the savings in kWh and euros, a more efficient plant also generates less CO₂ emissions emissions (by requiring less energy from the grid) and decreases the environmental footprint of desalinated water production. The renovation therefore not only benefits the operator, but also contributes to energy sustainability goals.
In addition to savings in kWh and euros, a more efficient plant also generates less indirect CO₂ emissions (by requiring less energy from the grid) and reduces the environmental footprint of desalinated water production. The renovation therefore not only benefits the operator, but also contributes to energy sustainability goals.
In order to take this efficiency to the next level, the integration of solar panels for desalination plant in the Canary Islands emerges as the perfect and most potent complement to any desalination plant renovation plan. Thanks to the exceptional solar radiation of the archipelago (exceeding 5-6 kWh/m²/day in many areas), a self-consumption PV system can cover 20-50% or more of the remaining consumption of the renovated plant, and even approach 80-100% in optimised installations with storage or intelligent pumping management during peak sunshine hours. Real projects in Gran Canaria, such as the pioneering floating PV next to the Las Palmas III desalination plant or initiatives in agricultural and municipal plants, already demonstrate significant reductions in grid dependency, with additional savings on electricity bills that can exceed €50,000-100,000 per year in medium-scale plants (1,000 m³/day), depending on the size of the solar installation and available subsidies (such as those from IDAE or NextGeneration funds).
This combinationtechnological renovation + solar panels Canary Islands- not only multiplies total energy savings (reducing effective consumption to below 1-1.5 kWh/m³ in advanced cases), but also eliminates thousands of tonnes of CO₂ per year by displacing fossil energy. Imagine your desalination plant producing drinking water at almost zero energy cost during the day, with an accelerated payback (often less than 5-7 years) and positioning you as a leader in water decarbonisation in the archipelago.
In addition, novel innovations such as hybrid systems with lithium batteries for overnight storage, smart inverters that optimise pumping in real time or even integration with emerging technologies (such as ITC's experimental plants that are already breaking world efficiency records), enable further savings in energy efficiency. The result: a modern, self-contained, green desalination plant that not only drastically reduces operating costs, but also strengthens resilience to electricity price spikes and meets the highest European sustainability standards.
If you are evaluating the modernisation of your desalination plant with solar panels in the Canaries, Contact us for a personalised analysis and discover the real potential savings in kWh, euros and CO₂ for your facility!
Economic impact: cost savings and flexible financing
Modernising a desalination plant represents a investment which, as we have seen, is recovered through energy and operational savings. Let's look at the key economic impacts:
Savings on electricity bills: The reduction in energy consumption (50% ±) translates into thousands of euros in annual savings. Depending on the size of the plant and the cost of electricity, these savings can be very significant in the Canary Islands, where electricity prices tend to be high. In the example above, ~88,000 € less per year in electricity costs means resources that the company can allocate to other areas. Over the remaining lifetime of the plant, modernisation saves several hundred thousand euros in energy OPEX.
Reduced expenditure on repairs and spare parts: Older desalination plants, being at the limit of their useful life, suffer frequent breakdowns (pumps that lose performance, valves that fail, motors that overheat, etc.). Each repair involves the cost of parts, specialised labour and sometimes interruption of water service. With a refurbished plant, new equipment comes with a warranty, available parts and more reliable designs, dramatically reducing breakdowns. This means less unforeseen expenses in corrective maintenance and more stability in operating costs. The maintenance of desalination plants can be better planned (scheduled preventive maintenance) rather than reacting to emergencies, which lowers the overall cost and avoids outages.
Extended service life: Renewal is equivalent to rejuvenate the plant. Instead of having to consider building a completely new desalination plant (with the huge investment involved), a retrofit extends the life of the existing plant by incorporating modern components. It is a cost-effective way of obtaining virtually a «new» desalination plant by taking advantage of existing structures and permits. This improves the value of the infrastructure and defers the need for complete replacement by many years.
Financing options (leasing/renting): In order to facilitate investment, flexible financing formulas are available. For example, through a leasing (financial leasing), the plant can be renewed by paying regular instalments with an option to buy at the end, instead of a large initial outlay. Another alternative is the renting, The leasing is an operating lease in which a specialised company installs the new equipment and the customer pays a fixed monthly fee that includes the use and maintenance of the equipment. The advantage of renting is that it usually includes maintenance services and guarantees operability, in exchange for a fee that, ideally, is largely covered by the energy savings achieved. In both cases, modernisation can start operating without initial investment strong on the operator's side, turning CAPEX into predictable OPEX.
Ultimately, from an economic point of view, upgrading an old desalination plant is extremely attractive: it reduces operating costs immediately, improves reliability (avoiding outage costs) and can be financed in such a way that the CASH FLOW monthly is almost not suffered. With additional subsidies or support, the return on investment is even faster. Every euro invested in the renovation plan The benefits are returned in the form of electricity and maintenance savings in euros, as well as a more modern and robust system.
Free audit and savings simulation
Ready to take your plant to the next level? At Hydrosolutions Canary Islands we are specialists in the desalination plant renovation Canary Islands, with extensive experience in modernising and maintaining reverse osmosis plants in the archipelago. We offer you comprehensive advice to evaluate your case and the best solutions adapted to your needs.
Request a free audit of your desalination plant: our technical team will carry out an analysis of the state of your current installations (pump performance, state of membranes, specific consumption, etc.) and will identify opportunities for improvement. You will receive a detailed and personalised report, with no obligation.
In addition, we simulate your savings estimate: using calculation tools and real data, we will show you how much you could reduce energy consumption and operating costs with the renovation. We will present you with a clear comparison of the before and after, so that you can tangibly reap the economic benefits year after year.
In Hidrosoluciones Canarias we take care of the entire modernisation process: from the project design (selection of pumps, energy recovery units, control systems) up to the installation and commissioning, We comply with all local regulations. And of course, we offer desalination plant maintenance long-term so that your refurbished plant will continue to operate optimally for many years to come.
Don't miss the opportunity to halve your desalination costs and improve the reliability of your system. Contact us at for your free audit and start on the road to a more efficient, economical and sustainable desalination plant. Enter the era of desalination 4.0 with our Renove Plan and see the difference! Request your study without obligation and let us help you save and improve your desalinated water process.
Your plant and your wallet will notice it from day one. We look forward to seeing you to boost together the renovation of desalination plants in the Canary Islands!