In June 2023, Algarve Daily News reported that mainland Portugal was to get its first seawater desalination plant in Albufeira. Environment Minister Duarte Cordeiro announced a tender by the end of the year and operation by 2026, with a further plant planned on the Alentejo coast. The site choice drew on studies by Águas de Portugal. The plant was to cover around a third of urban water demand in the southern region, at about 10 euro cents per m³. Porto Santo, Madeira, had used reverse osmosis since 1980.
The report showed desalination in Portugal moving, under persistent drought, from island supply to an option for the mainland, justified as a reserve for cities, tourism and industry.
Source: Algarve Daily News