U.S.-Israel Joint Venture Plans $1 Billion Desalination Plant Investment in Texas

en.Wedoany.com Reported - US Desalination LLC and Israel's IDE Technologies have formed a joint venture, RGV‑Desal LLC, to build a seawater desalination plant with a capacity of 50 million gallons per day in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. The project, recently announced, is seen as a significant supplement to the water supply for the South Padre Island area.

IDE Technologies, which has been involved in major projects such as the Carlsbad Desalination Plant in Southern California, is participating as the technology provider and co-developer. The joint venture will be responsible for the plant's design, financing, and long-term operation. The total project investment is approximately $1 billion, with the potential for later expansion to 100 million gallons per day. The developer has already secured land near a planned second causeway and is discussing the possibility of laying water transmission pipelines along the new bridge.

The desalination plant will utilize seawater reverse osmosis technology and be equipped with an energy recovery system to reduce power consumption. The developer estimates a development timeline of three to five years, but no permitting agency has confirmed this schedule. The Texas Water Development Board stated that the region has previously explored desalination to address hydrological variability. County judges from Cameron and Hidalgo counties have publicly supported the project, citing long-term water supply concerns. However, Cyrus Reed of the Sierra Club pointed out that the lack of technical details makes assessment difficult, emphasizing that "the devil is in the details."

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