Anglian Water Services awards desalinization contracts
Key Highlights
- Anglian Water Services awarded a technical contract for two new desalination plants in Lincolnshire and Norfolk, UK.
- The plants will secure resilient water supplies for the region which will address an estimated 593 megaliters shortfall by 2050.
Anglian Water Services (AWS) awarded a technical contract to a TYPSA-Stantec joint venture (JV) for the development of two new desalination plants in Lincolnshire and Norfolk, UK.
The proposed plants are designed to support AWS’s long-term strategy to secure resilient water supplies for the region, which is the driest part of the UK. Without new sources, a 2024 Water Resources Management Plan (WRMP24) forecast a daily shortfall of 593 megaliters of water by 2050, equating to about half of the current volume of water entering the network.
Both plants will desalinate seawater from the North Sea. Initial design assumptions are that the desalination plants will include pre-treatment, reverse osmosis, and remineralization, before the treated water is blended and pumped into the supply stream. Seawater desalination is a relatively new technology within the UK water industry, and the proposed plants will be the first of their kind in the Anglian Water region.
The TYPSA-Stantec JV will support AWS with development stages for both sites. The TYPSA-Stantec JV is supported by Acciona Agua, which has been awarded the role of Primary Desalination Technical Partner (DTP). They will be joined by a Secondary DTP, RSK-GHD JV, supported by Veolia.
The DTPs will provide the technical expertise needed to deliver the program including design and engineering, optioneering, site selection, planning, and consenting. They will also support estimating, programming, and constructability assessments and assist with land acquisition and regulatory engagement.
The contract is worth up to £29 million and will start from January 2026 and last 5 years with the option to extend for a further 5 years at the end of the initial term.