New Water Supply Regulations Take Effect, Seawater Desalination Membranes Open A New Blue Economy Track

By Kosi

 

Water is the source of life and the foundation of development. The global water scarcity crisis continues to intensify, with the supply-demand contradiction in China's coastal areas being particularly acute.

On June 1, 2026, the newly revised "Water Supply Regulations" officially came into effect, establishing for the first time at the legal level the status of desalinated seawater as a conventional water source, injecting a strong boost into the industry's development. As the core "chip" of seawater desalination systems, breakthroughs and large-scale applications in desalination membrane technology are propelling the global desalination industry into a golden period of development.

This article, combined with the latest policy directions, provides an in-depth analysis of the current status, scale, and benchmark cases of the domestic and international seawater desalination market. It focuses on the core application value of Proshare's seawater desalination membrane products, jointly exploring new opportunities for utilizing marine resources.

 

01 Policy Support: New "Water Supply Regulations" Establish Strategic Position of Seawater Desalination

Water scarcity is a core bottleneck restricting the development of China's coastal economic belt. China's per capita freshwater resources are only a quarter of the world average. Nine of the 11 coastal provinces and municipalities are in a state of water shortage, with water scarcity issues being particularly severe in industrial clusters and islands. Against this backdrop, the introduction of the new "Water Supply Regulations" is a milestone.

Article 10 of the regulations explicitly states: "Encourage coastal water-scarce areas and islands to promote and apply desalinated seawater as a supplementary water source according to local conditions." This includes desalinated seawater into the urban water supply system for the first time, establishing its legal transition from "emergency backup" to "conventional supply." Simultaneously, the "Water Conservation Regulations" further require that newly built industrial projects in coastal water-scarce areas give priority to using desalinated seawater, and where conditions permit, it can be used as municipal supplementary water supply and emergency backup source. With the support of these dual policies, seawater desalination has become a strategic choice for China to address water scarcity and ensure water security.

The continuous release of policy dividends has directly driven the rapid expansion of the industry. By the end of 2024, China had 158 seawater desalination projects with a total capacity of 2.856 million tons per day, an increase of 333,000 tons per day compared to 2023, achieving the "14th Five-Year Plan" target ahead of schedule. Among them, there are 61 projects with a capacity of 10,000 tons or more, accounting for over 92% of the total capacity. Coastal provinces such as Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, and Zhejiang have formed large-scale industrial clusters.

 

By 2030, China's total seawater desalination scale is expected to exceed 5 million tons per day, indicating vast market potential. 

02 Global Landscape: Seawater Desalination Market Continues to Expand, Membrane Technology Dominates Industry Development

(I) Global Market Size: High-Growth Billion-Dollar Market

The global water scarcity problem is becoming more severe, with over 120 countries and regions facing varying degrees of water shortage. Seawater desalination has become a core solution for coastal countries to ensure water supply. In 2025, the global seawater desalination technology market size reached $27.8 billion, projected to grow to $30.19 billion in 2026, and exceed $59.3 billion by 2034, with a compound annual growth rate of 8.85%. The global daily production capacity of seawater desalination has surpassed 100 million cubic meters and is expected to exceed 150 million cubic meters in 2026 and approach 200 million cubic meters by 2030.

Regionally, the Middle East and Africa, benefiting from inherent resource endowments, hold over 45% of global capacity, making it the largest market, with a market size of $14.29 billion in 2025. The Asia-Pacific region is the fastest-growing core engine, with countries like China, India, and Australia accelerating their deployments, expected to contribute the largest share of new global capacity from 2025 to 2030. The European and American markets are focusing on upgrading existing facilities and applying small modular units, emphasizing energy efficiency improvements and low-carbon development.

 

(II) Technological Landscape: Reverse Osmosis Membrane Technology Holds Absolute Dominance

Seawater desalination technologies are mainly divided into three categories: Reverse Osmosis (RO), Low-Temperature Multi-Effect Distillation (MED), and Multi-Stage Flash Distillation (MSF). Among these, reverse osmosis membrane technology has become the global mainstream choice, accounting for over 85% of new global capacity, due to its advantages of low energy consumption, strong modularity, and controllable costs. Its core principle involves using high pressure to force water molecules through a semi-permeable membrane, retaining salts and impurities to achieve desalination. The key component is the seawater desalination membrane.

The global seawater desalination membrane market has long been monopolized by overseas giants, with companies like Dow, Hydranautics, and Toray dominating the high-end market. However, in recent years, China's membrane technology has achieved significant breakthroughs. Domestic membrane companies, represented by Proshare, have reached internationally advanced levels in core indicators such as separation precision, anti-fouling properties, and service life, breaking the foreign monopoly and significantly reducing the cost of seawater desalination, thus facilitating large-scale industry adoption.

 

03 Domestic Market: Accelerated Large-Scale Application, Golden Era for Domestic Membrane Substitution

(I) Market Status: Concentrated Capacity, Driven by Both Industrial and Municipal Sectors

China's seawater desalination projects are highly concentrated in coastal water-scarce areas, forming three core clusters: the Bohai Rim, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Among these, Tianjin (450,000 tons/day), Hebei (390,000 tons/day), and Shandong (700,000 tons/day) have the leading capacities, with large benchmark projects established in cities like Qingdao (Shandong), Tianjin's Nangang, and Zhoushan (Zhejiang).

In terms of application scenarios, industrial water is the mainstay, accounting for over 70%, primarily serving high water-consuming industries such as steel, chemicals, and power. Municipal water supply accounts for about 20%, with pilot cities like Qingdao and Tianjin incorporating desalinated water into their municipal pipe networks, while residential water supply accounts for less than 10%. Island and vessel water supply is an important supplement, achieving full coverage in scenarios like the Yongxing Island in the Xisha Islands and ocean-going fishing vessels. 

(II) Benchmark Cases: Domestic Membrane Technology Empowers Large-Scale Project Implementation

Case 1: Tianjin Dagang, Total Capacity 150,000 Tons/Day, Phase I 100,000 Tons/Day Reverse Osmosis Seawater Desalination Project

Located in the Dagang Petrochemical Industrial Park in Binhai New Area, the Tianjin Dagang Xinquan Seawater Desalination Plant is an early large-scale benchmark project in China. The project has a planned total capacity of 150,000 tons/day, with the Phase I 100,000 tons/day facility operating stably for a long time, mainly serving high water-consuming enterprises like petrochemical and chemical plants in the park. The project adopts the mature mainstream dual-membrane process of ultrafiltration + reverse osmosis, producing water quality that meets industrial production standards.

In recent years, the project has completed the localized replacement of membrane modules, equipping them in batches with Proshare's domestic brand seawater desalination membranes. This has effectively reduced operation and maintenance costs while ensuring water supply stability, making it a typical demonstration project for water resource recycling and domestic desalination membrane application in the Binhai New Area.

Click to view: Responding to the National Water Security Strategy! Proshare Technology Supplies Thousands of Seawater Desalination Membranes for Tianjin Dagang Projecthttps://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/a1LYFEvgz2oUe4T38MIPQg

 

Case 2: Shandong Lubei High-tech Zone Seawater Desalination and Comprehensive Utilization Project

With a daily output of 150,000 tons of freshwater and an annual supply of 50 million tons of pure water, the project core utilizes a combined process of domestic ultrafiltration membranes and reverse osmosis membranes. Innovatively, it uses residual heat from a power plant's cooling seawater as feed water, matching the membrane's operating temperature and saving the heating step, directly reducing water production costs by 20%. Meanwhile, the concentrated brine is piped to salt fields for bromine extraction and salt production, achieving a resource utilization rate of 98% and forming a closed-loop "water-salt-bromine" industrial chain.

Case 3: Tangshan Shengang 100,000 Tons/Day Seawater Desalination Project

Relying on the industrial cluster of Tangshan Haigang Economic Development Zone, this project provides industrial water for steel and coking enterprises with a daily capacity of 100,000 tons. It uses domestic seawater desalination membranes adapted to highly polluted and high-salinity seawater environments, exhibiting excellent anti-fouling performance and stable operation. Simultaneously, it uses power plant wastewater as feed water, realizing water resource recycling, reducing enterprise water costs, and saving over 3 million tons of freshwater annually.

 

(III) Opportunities for Domestic Membranes: Dual Drive of Policy and Cost, Vast Substitution Potential

For a long time, the core technology of seawater desalination membranes was monopolized by foreign companies. Imported membranes were expensive, had long supply cycles, and high after-sales costs, constraining the development of China's desalination industry. In recent years, driven by policy support and technological breakthroughs, domestic seawater desalination membranes have achieved significant progress: separation precision reaching 0.1 nanometers, an average desalination rate stably above 99.7%, significantly improved anti-fouling and corrosion resistance, and an extended service life of over 5 years, with core indicators reaching internationally advanced levels.

Cost advantage is the core competitiveness of domestic membranes. Domestic membrane prices are 30%-40% lower than imported ones, with shorter supply cycles and faster after-sales responses, significantly reducing project construction and operating costs. With the implementation of the new "Water Supply Regulations," domestic desalination projects are accelerating expansion, and the substitution of domestic membranes has entered a golden period. The market penetration rate has increased from 30% in 2020 to over 60% in 2025 and is expected to further rise to 80% in the future.

 

04 Seawater Desalination Membrane: Core Technology Empowers Efficient Full-Scenario Applications

As a leading domestic R&D and production enterprise for seawater desalination membranes, Proshare has been deeply involved in the membrane technology field for many years. Focusing on the core challenges of seawater desalination, it has developed a series of seawater desalination membrane products featuring high desalination, anti-fouling, long life, and low energy consumption. These products are suitable for all scenarios, including large-scale industrial projects, municipal water supply, and island/vessel applications, and have been implemented on a large scale in several benchmark projects, earning high market recognition for their performance.

(I) Core Product Advantages

Ultra-High Desalination Rate, Stable Water Quality: Utilizing the industry's exclusive third-generation thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) technology combined with layer-by-layer self-assembly processes, the desalination rate can reach 99.9%. The produced water has a salt content below 500 mg/L, surpassing national drinking water standards, and can be directly used for industrial production, municipal water supply, and island domestic water.

(Image caption: Seawater Desalination Membrane Testing by the Tianjin Institute of Seawater Desalination and Comprehensive Utilization, Ministry of Natural Resources - Suzhou Proshare Environmental Protection)

 

Strong Anti-Fouling Properties, Adaptable to Complex Water Quality: Targeting the characteristics of high suspended solids, high organics, and high microorganisms in China's coastal seawater, the membrane surface modification technology has been optimized. This reduces the membrane fouling rate, decreases cleaning frequency, and extends the service life to 5-8 years, a 30% improvement over standard membranes.

Low Energy Consumption Operation, Cost-Effective: Optimized membrane element structural design reduces operating pressure, lowering energy consumption by 15%-20% compared to similar products. This significantly decreases project operating costs and aids in achieving the "dual carbon" goals.

 

(II) Core Application Scenarios

Large-Scale Industrial Seawater Desalination Projects: Suitable for high water-consuming enterprises like steel, chemicals, and power, providing a stable industrial water supply, reducing dependence on tap water, and saving over ten million yuan annually in water costs. Successfully applied in large-scale projects like the Tianjin Dagang Xinquan Desalination Plant, demonstrating stable operation and excellent performance.

Municipal Water Supply and Emergency Backup Water Sources: Suitable for coastal cities' municipal water supply and emergency backup water needs. The produced water quality meets standards and can be directly integrated into municipal pipe networks. Supports pilot cities like Qingdao and Tianjin in expanding their desalinated water supply scale, ensuring urban water security.

Island and Vessel Water Supply: Suitable for islands, ocean-going fishing vessels, offshore platforms, and other scenarios. The equipment is compact, lightweight, and easy to install, allowing for rapid deployment in confined spaces to solve water scarcity issues in remote areas. Applied in projects on Yongxing Island (Xisha Islands), Weihai ocean-going fishing vessels, and luxury cruise ships.

 

05 Future Outlook: Continuous Release of Policy Dividends, Membrane Technology Leads Industrial Upgrading

The implementation of the new "Water Supply Regulations" marks that China's seawater desalination industry has entered a new phase of standardized and large-scale development. In the future, driven by policy support, technological innovation, and cost reduction, China's seawater desalination market is expected to maintain an annual growth rate of over 15%, with capacity exceeding 5 million tons per day by 2030, making it one of the world's largest seawater desalination markets.

As the core "chip" of the desalination industry, seawater desalination membrane technology will encounter even greater development opportunities. Domestic membrane enterprises will continue to increase R&D investment, focusing on low-carbon, intelligent, and long-term development directions. They will strive to achieve breakthroughs in key core technologies such as high-performance membrane materials, anti-fouling technologies, and energy-saving processes, further narrowing the gap with international top-tier levels and enhancing market competitiveness. Simultaneously, with the advancement of the "Belt and Road" initiative, domestic seawater desalination membranes will accelerate their global expansion, targeting overseas markets in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa, and other regions, participating in global water resource governance and building an international brand for Chinese membrane technology.

Prosper from the sea, advance with water. As a strategic choice to solve water scarcity, seawater desalination has become a vital engine for the blue economy. Under new policies, new markets, and new opportunities, Proshare will continue to delve into seawater desalination membrane technology, empowering industrial upgrading with core products, contributing to the high-quality development of China's seawater desalination industry, and delivering membrane power to safeguard national water security and promote green, low-carbon development!