Two of Turkey’s most abundant resources – sun and sea – are being combined to create a very precious one: drinking water.
In regions like Bodrum, Turkey, tourism’s seasonal population surges and climate-driven drought patterns put intense pressure on freshwater supplies. Water scarcity stresses the local infrastructure and resources which struggle to keep up with demand.
Blue Hybrid Solutions Co Founder Muhammet Çoplan – who wrote a thesis exploring the relationship between energy and water – set out to prove that the resources that Bodrum already had in plentiful supply: the sun and the sea, were in fact the solution to their water scarcity …and that they could be transformed into a resilient source of drinking water without harming the environment.
In an innovative partnership between Bodrum Municipality and Blue Hybrid Solutions, a Floating Sea Water Treatment Platform which produces potable water at scale, using 100% renewable energy, has been launched and is demonstrating its importance to the community.
Coastal regions in sunny locations around the world are attractive to visitors – yet frequently don’t have sufficient natural water resources to cope with fluctuating demand. The water shortage is often exacerbated by climate change bringing extended periods of drought.
Blue Hybrid’s desalination platform produces up to 18 tons of fresh water per day. The facility operates using reverse osmosis technology delivering potable water containing approximately 300 total dissolved solids (TDS) parts per million – from a raw water source which in the Eastern Mediterranean contains around 40,000 TDS.
The platform is fully autonomous. Energy generation, storage, and water production processes are managed automatically without the need for continuous human intervention. The platform runs on 100% renewable energy, completely independently from the electricity grid or diesel generators. If that same volume of water – approaching 7,000 tons of water per year – were produced by a fossil-fuel powered desalination plant, it would result in 500 tons of carbon emissions per year.
Bodrum Municipality Climate Change and Zero Waste Manager Ezgi Acer Çetinkaya said that the project is a concrete proof that technologies compatible with nature are possible beyond being a technical solution.
Who wins?
Local Communities gain access to clean water for domestic use and for public taps; recreational facilities such as parks can be irrigated; and emergency services have access to water, when required.
Local government departments are able to mitigate pressures on their local water resource – sustainably.
And visitors are able to enjoy their vacation without overburdening local resources.
As Bodrum Mayor Tamer Mandalinci explains, the project is a local solution to a local problem — one that operates efficiently and sustainably without harming nature. The environment benefits from a low-impact, off-grid infrastructure that harmonizes with nature rather than depleting it.
How It Works
The platform houses a renewable energy system, smart energy storage, and water treatment plant.
- There are twenty solar panels rated at 595 W – offering a total 12kWp.
- Two 12 kW Wind Turbines.
- 84 kWh of energy is stored in a Lithium battery bank, ensuring 24 hour operation.
- There are three MultiPlus II 48/8000 Inverters together with an SMA 10 kW AC inverter.
- A SmartShunt 500A monitors power production and use from the wind turbines.
The desalination process works by reverse osmosis. Seawater is pumped at high pressure through a semi permeable membrane to produce potable water which is safe for domestic use.
The purified water is transferred to a 20-ton reservoir on land along food-grade hoses.
Blue Hybrid’s desalination plants achieve an optimal efficiency of 3kWh of energy consumption for every ton of clean water produced. Monitoring over time has demonstrated that about one-third of that energy will be produced by the turbines and two-thirds will be solar harvest.
The platform has been tested in some harsh weather conditions – let’s take a look at how it handles a severe gale force 9:
The system is fully autonomous: energy generation, storage, and water production are orchestrated by an integrated management system that adjusts operations in real time, with no need for continuous human intervention.
From Idea to Real-World Impact
This project originated as a master’s thesis exploring the energy–water nexus and evolved into a fully operational platform through collaboration between engineers, marine specialists, and renewable energy experts. From prototype to patent application and, ultimately, to this pilot installation in Bodrum’s Bitez Port. The project demonstrates academic innovation through to real-world application.
It was designed, installed, and commissioned by a multidisciplinary team with hands-on field experience in renewable energy systems, marine and floating structures, infrastructure, and business development.
With long-term service and maintenance agreements in place the platform will deliver reliable, sustainable water security for years to come.
