140 million tons of fresh water per year, proprietary dual desalination technology, stable operation of a giant petrochemical cluster, and expansion into international markets

As reported by CCTV+, China is using seawater desalination to supply water to its population and to implement major projects in some of the country’s main ports.

The integrated oil refining and petrochemical base on Yushan Island in Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province, which consumes vast amounts of water, has created the world’s largest cluster of desalination projects specifically designed for a petrochemical plant.

It uses proprietary dual desalination technology, producing more than 515,000 tons of water per day. The annual output of fresh water exceeds 140 million tons, meeting high industrial standards.

Guo Ai, head of the water supply department at the Zhoushan Green Petrochemical Base, explained: “Seawater desalination is a key guarantee for our industrial development. The stable supply of high-quality desalinated water fully meets the requirements of production processes and has completely solved the water supply problems of large industrial projects on islands. Without desalination, the petrochemical base could not operate efficiently and stably.”

In 2026, China’s seawater desalination industry is striving for higher quality, greater sustainability and the expansion of international markets for its technologies and know-how. It continues to strengthen the country’s capacity to ensure water security, while giving a powerful boost to the efficient and sustainable use of water resources.

Xiang Wenxi, director of the Tianjin Institute of Seawater Desalination and Multipurpose Utilisation (Ministry of Natural Resources), noted: “China’s seawater desalination sector has gone from meeting domestic needs to exporting technologies and equipment, making a leap from independent innovation to international development. This progress has not only solved the country’s water shortage problem, but has also provided mature and practical solutions for water-scarce countries and regions around the world. It has become an important symbol of China’s high-tech manufacturing for the world.”

Yushan Island in Zhoushan is a major oil refining and petrochemical hub. Dual desalination combines two methods to increase efficiency and water quality.

Zhoushan. An island where petrochemicals drink the sea. 515,000 tons of desalinated water a day – more than some cities need. 140 million tons a year. All of it – with Chinese technology. Without it, the plant would stop. With it, it runs steadily and efficiently. Now China has not only solved its own water problem but is ready to export solutions to others. Countries with deserts and arid climates can take this technology and no longer depend on rain and rivers. The question is not whether China has something to offer the world. It does. The question is how quickly the world will realise that water is not just a resource, but also a technology. And China has already learned to extract it. Straight from the sea.