Participants at COP31 in Antalya were briefed on 10 November 2026 about Azerbaijan’s water-security program and a Caspian Sea desalination project with an initial capacity of 300,000 cubic meters per day, intended to add water for Baku and the Absheron Peninsula. Azərtac
Key takeaways
- The Caspian Sea desalination project has an initial capacity of 300,000 cubic meters per day and is intended to provide an additional water source for Baku and the Absheron Peninsula. Azərtac
- Azerbaijan’s 2026–2035 state program covers drinking-water supply, sewerage and stormwater systems, new treatment facilities, collectors, water-risk management and alternative water sources. Azərtac
- The desalination project is being implemented with ACWA Power through a public-private partnership. Azərtac
- A significant share of Azerbaijan’s water resources originates outside the country, while Baku and the Absheron Peninsula rely on freshwater supplies from outside the peninsula. Azərtac
Azerbaijan presents transboundary supply and desalination priorities
Speaking during a water-security session at the Azerbaijan pavilion at COP31 in Antalya, Mukhtar Babayev, President of COP29 and Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Climate Issues, said that a significant share of Azerbaijan’s water resources originates beyond its borders and that Baku and the entire Absheron Peninsula depend on freshwater supplies from outside the peninsula. Azərtac
Babayev recalled that President Ilham Aliyev had approved a state program covering improvements to drinking-water supply, stormwater and wastewater systems in Baku and the Absheron Peninsula for 2026–2035. The program envisages development of drinking-water supply, sewerage and stormwater systems, construction of new treatment facilities and collectors, water-risk management, and identification of alternative water sources. Azərtac
Desalination is presented as an additional supply source
The Caspian Sea desalination project is being implemented jointly with ACWA Power through a public-private partnership, with an initial capacity of 300,000 cubic meters per day. Azərtac
“With an initial desalination capacity of 300,000 cubic meters per day, the project will provide an additional source of water for Baku and the Absheron Peninsula, reducing dependence on existing freshwater resources,” Babayev said. Azərtac
He described the project as an example of international cooperation supporting national climate-adaptation priorities and said the state identifies public needs while private investment and professional expertise contribute to infrastructure development. Azərtac
“The goal must remain unchanged: ensuring reliable and affordable water supplies for the population,” he added. Azərtac
Specification read
The reported initial desalination scale is 300,000 cubic meters per day, equivalent to 300 m³/day in buyer flow units. The source does not provide the wastewater flow, influent BOD/COD, treatment performance, population equivalent or detailed process train for the associated sewerage and stormwater works, so those values cannot be used to specify a wastewater plant. Azərtac
For a conventional municipal wastewater train, the process sequence is screening, primary clarification, biological treatment such as A2O, MBR, MBBR, SBR or UASB, and tertiary treatment or disinfection, with DAF or ZLD added where the required solids or dissolved-solids separation calls for it. The event bears directly on source-water supply through desalination and on future wastewater infrastructure through the 2026–2035 program, but the supplied report does not identify which wastewater treatment stages will be built or selected. Azərtac
For operators reviewing a plant against a municipal water-supply and wastewater-programme requirement, the useful buyer questions are how the proposed train handles variable salinity, what pretreatment and post-treatment are required for desalination reuse, and how stormwater inflow affects the sewerage treatment capacity. The relevant equipment context is water purification and municipal wastewater infrastructure.
Every plant enquiry still needs the actual wastewater flow in m³/day, BOD/COD in mg/L, industry, discharge or reuse requirements and compliance pressure; those inputs were not reported, so an equipment class or capacity cannot be selected from the announced figures alone. Azərtac
FAQ
What capacity was reported for the Caspian Sea desalination project?
The project’s initial desalination capacity is 300,000 cubic meters per day, or 300 m³/day in buyer flow units. The source says it is intended to provide an additional water source for Baku and the Absheron Peninsula and reduce dependence on existing freshwater resources. Azərtac
Which wastewater treatment stages are included in the 2026–2035 program?
The program covers drinking-water supply, sewerage and stormwater systems, new treatment facilities and collectors, water-risk management and alternative water sources. It does not identify individual treatment stages, so buyers need project-specific design information before selecting equipment. Azərtac
How will the desalination project be delivered?
The project is being implemented jointly with ACWA Power through a public-private partnership. Babayev said public needs are identified by the state, while private investment and professional expertise contribute to infrastructure development; the source does not report procurement packages, costs or delivery schedules. Azərtac
What information is needed to scope wastewater equipment?
Request the wastewater flow in m³/day, BOD/COD in mg/L, treatment objectives, reuse or discharge requirements, stormwater conditions and applicable compliance limits. The source reports a 300,000 cubic-meter-per-day desalination scale, but it does not report wastewater process data, equipment lead times, supplier-selection criteria or project costs. Azərtac
