Offshore Energy Island for Sustainable Water Desalination—Case Study of KSA

Muhnad Almasoudi, Hassan Hemida () and Soroosh Sharifi
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Muhnad Almasoudi: Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering—Rabigh Branch, King Abdulaziz University, Rabigh 25732, Saudi Arabia
Hassan Hemida: Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Soroosh Sharifi: Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-23

Abstract: This study identifies the optimal location for an offshore energy island to supply sustainable power to desalination plants along the Red Sea coast. As demand for clean energy in water production grows, integrating renewables into desalination systems becomes increasingly essential. A decision-making framework was developed to assess site feasibility based on renewable energy potential (solar, wind, and wave), marine traffic, site suitability, planned developments, and proximity to desalination facilities. Data was sourced from platforms such as Windguru and RETScreen, and spatial analysis was conducted using Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). Results indicate that the central Red Sea region offers the most favorable conditions, combining high renewable resource availability with existing infrastructure. The estimated regional desalination energy demand of 2.1 million kW can be met using available renewable sources. Integrating these sources is expected to reduce local CO 2 emissions by up to 43.17% and global desalination-related emissions by 9.5%. Spatial constraints for offshore installations were also identified, with land-based solar energy proposed as a complementary solution. The study underscores the need for further research into wave energy potential in the Red Sea, due to limited real-time data and the absence of a dedicated wave energy atlas.

Keywords: sustainability; framework; renewable energy; site selection; IDW interpolation; MCDA; desalination; energy island; energy hub; Red Sea (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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