Solar-Powered Desalination Brings Free Drinking Water to Lake Ghoubet

In one of the hottest, driest countries on Earth, Impact Water Solutions and technology partner OSMOSUN installed a self-sufficient seawater desalination unit on the shores of Lake Ghoubet, run entirely on a 40kWp solar array with no batteries or grid connection. Commissioned in 2023, the plant feeds a small drinking-water distribution network that supplies more than 1,000 residents for free and has produced over 10 million liters of fresh water while avoiding roughly 45 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year compared with diesel-powered alternatives. The project also created 17 local jobs, including 3 permanent skilled operating roles, and its partners plan to replicate the model in other water-stressed communities across sub-Saharan Africa.