Cyprus has approved an €85 million mobile desalination facility at Mazotos after the Environmental Authority issued its clearance, with construction scheduled to begin as early as June 2026.
The approval comes as dam levels across the island sit at 32.7% of capacity, even after one of the wettest Marches in decades. To end the country’s dependence on rainfall, the government wants to pursue full desalination coverage of domestic drinking water needs. The plant forms part of a broader national desalination programme, endorsed by the Council of Ministers in November 2024, under which reservoirs would be reserved entirely for agricultural use. The programme also envisages four permanent plants incorporating renewable energy sources, planned for completion by 2029 through the Water Development Department.
Classified as an urgent national priority, the Mazotos facility is expected to come online by December 2026, initially delivering 20,000 cubic metres of drinking water per day and expandable to 40,000 cubic metres. A special Cabinet decree bypassing standard planning procedures has been enacted to accelerate delivery.
The Environmental Authority assessed four candidate sites before selecting the "Makaronia" location at Mazotos. Softades and Maroni were eliminated on national security grounds, as both fall within a National Guard military exclusion zone, while environmental and licensing constraints ruled out Psematismenos. Mazotos was judged the only viable solution, with its predominantly sandy seabed reducing ecological risk at the discharge point.
The Ministry of Defence gave its consent subject to conditions, including a requirement that operators formally waive future objections to activity at the nearby Kition firing range and that the sea pipeline run entirely outside its danger zone.
The facility will use reverse osmosis technology monitored through a fully automated SCADA system. Environmental authorisation was based on a Marine Ecological Study and a Brine Dispersion Study conducted under a worst-case 50% recovery scenario. The plant is designed for a seven-year operational lifespan.
