Water scarcity has become an increasingly urgent issue in the Southeast Asia (SEA) region, with urban areas facing significant challenges due to rising population, fluctuating weather patterns and urbanisation. To tackle these challenges, SEA countries like the Philippines are undertaking significant measures in the form of innovative projects to secure a reliable and sustainable water supply. One such example is the upcoming desalination plant in the metro city Iloilo, in the Philippines. Situated in Barangay Ingore, La Paz district, this facility is set to be the largest seawater desalination plant in the Philippines.
Spearheaded by Metro Pacific Water (MPW), a leading water utility company in the Philippines, the ambitious desalination project’s water production is an integral component of the Service Enhancement Programme for 2024 to 2030. The upcoming desalination project will leverage modern seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) technology alongside sustainable initiatives such as waste-to-energy (WtE) solutions. It is expected to address water shortages, particularly during dry seasons, and strengthen Metro Iloilo’s long-term water security.
Current progress
The development of the desalination plant has gathered considerable momentum in recent months. Its construction officially began in February 2025.
The construction of the project in Iloilo city is underpinned by strategic partnerships and expertise pooling from both local and international stakeholders. In line with this, in June 2024, MPW formally awarded the development of the project to SUEZ, a global leader in water treatment technologies, in collaboration with JEMCO, a Philippines-based construction firm. The scope of the project includes the designing, building and operations of a SWRO-based plant in Barangay Ingore, La Paz district in Metro Iloilo, at an estimated cost of PhP 5.5 billion. The involvement of SUEZ brings innovative technologies and valuable experience in the desalination segment, while JEMCO’s involvement ensures that the project is grounded in community engagement and local economic participation. The construction phase of the project involves meticulous planning and execution, with JEMCO and SUEZ coordinating to ensure that timelines and quality standards are met.
The desalination plant in Iloilo city is being designed to produce a massive 66,500 cubic metres of potable water daily. About 97 per cent of the total water capacity from the facility will be delivered as safe drinking water for domestic purposes, directly benefiting nearly 50,000 households across the service area. Further, the remaining part (around 3 per cent) of the total capacity will be used for the production of demineralised water to support the industrial water needs of the adjacent power plant. The project is expected to be fully operationalised by 2027. The project can potentially be a blueprint for future water solutions in coastal Philippine cities.
SWRO technology and other deployments
The desalination plant in Iloilo city incorporates advanced technological solutions that efficiently convert seawater into safe and high quality potable water. The primary method employed is SWRO, a well-established membrane-based desalination process that removes dissolved salts and minerals from seawater, producing fresh, potable water by using high-pressure pumps to push the water through semi-permeable membranes.
The plant goes far beyond the capabilities of conventional reverse osmosis (RO) systems by incorporating state-of-the-art pretreatment technologies designed to ensure both the reliability and longevity of its operations. At the heart of this innovative approach is the SeaDAF Filter developed by SUEZ, which integrates rapid dissolved air flotation (DAF) with dual-media gravity filtration to deliver a comprehensive and highly effective treatment of the incoming seawater. This advanced pre-treatment stage is critical because it removes a wide range of impurities, including algae, suspended solids, turbidity and colloidal particles, which can otherwise compromise the efficiency and lifespan of RO membranes.
The SeaDAF system provides a strategically positioned upstream flotation step that captures contaminants before they reach the filtration stages and ensures a smoother and more stable operation, particularly when dealing with seawater of difficult or variable quality. By combining DAF with media pressure filtration, the system not only optimises the removal of problematic materials but also protects downstream equipment, minimises the risk of fouling or clogging, and maintains consistent water production under varying conditions. Beyond addressing peak challenges such as sudden increases in organic or particulate load, the SeaDAF solution contributes to overall process stability, operational resilience and long-term cost efficiency. Moreover, the integrated design significantly reduces the pretreatment footprint by more than 30 per cent, delivering a compact and high-performance system that is particularly well suited to space-constrained installations.
WtE initiatives
In a world increasingly focused on sustainability, large-scale infrastructure projects must balance utility with environmental responsibility, and the desalination plant in the metro city Iloilo exemplifies this approach by incorporating green practices into its core operations. A key component of the plant’s sustainability strategy is the integration of renewable energy through local WtE initiatives. The plant will be partially powered by a dedicated WtE facility, currently under development through a collaboration between MPW and the Iloilo city government. The city government has pledged to supply at least 470 tonnes of municipal waste daily, which will be converted into biomass energy to supply electricity to the desalination plant. This approach will help reduce the Calahunan landfill’s burden by diverting large amounts of waste to the desalination plant.
The WtE facility is designed to generate around 3.5 MW of electricity using environmentally responsible technologies, reducing dependence on conventional fossil fuels and lowering greenhouse gas emissions associated with power generation. By processing municipal waste into energy, the project simultaneously addresses the city’s waste management challenges and fosters a circular economy model in which waste materials are transformed into valuable resources rather than environmental liabilities.
In sum
Looking forward, the desalination plant in Iloilo is set to play a transformative role in Iloilo City’s water management. By providing dependable and high quality water supply, the facility is poised to strengthen the city’s resilience to seasonal droughts and growing population pressure, while setting a benchmark for innovative, environmentally responsible projects nationwide. Integrating desalination with local WtE renewables demonstrates a holistic and an ecologically efficient approach.
The project’s success is expected to generate valuable lessons for policymakers, urban planners and water utilities, offering a replicable model for other cities grappling with water scarcity and sustainability challenges. Beyond its technical achievements, the facility embodies a long-term vision where infrastructure development and environmental protection go hand in hand, reinforcing a circular economy, minimising ecological impact and optimising resource use. By combining cutting-edge engineering with strategic environmental planning, the desalination plant in Iloilo city provides a blueprint for future-ready urban water management, ensuring that essential water resources are secured while safeguarding the health of ecosystems and the well-being of communities for generations to come.
