1. Grundfos
  2. Campaign
  3. Global Water Awards 2025

Desalination Plant of the Year 2025:

In the heart of Mykolaiv, Ukraine, Grundfos and Boreal Light GmbH helped turn devastation into resilience, bringing clean water to 500,000 people with Europe’s largest solar desalination plant.

Built in record time, it runs on sustainable energy, providing 2.75 million litres of clean water per day to a community that refused to give up.

This is more than innovation. It is a symbol of survival, a step toward healing and proof that even in the hardest times, humanity finds a way forward.

How to support Grundfos

If you are a Global Water Intelligence (GWI) subscriber, you have the opportunity to vote. Look for the email below in your inbox:

The process is quick and simple:

1. Check your inbox for an email from GWI sent on March 4th “Vote Now! Global Water Awards 2025”

2. Open the email and click the voting link

3. Find Grundfos under the category “Desalination Plant of the Year”

4. Cast your vote for Grundfos’ project “Mykolaiv Solar Desalination Plant, Ukraine”

5. Submit your vote and wish us luck!

Your support helps raise awareness of the work being done to safeguard water, reduce waste and build a more sustainable future for all.

Find out more about the shortlisted case here:

Mykolaiv Solar Water Desalination Plant

When a recent war damaged Mykolaiv’s infrastructure, cutting off safe water access, Grundfos and Boreal Light GmbH stepped up to install Europe’s largest solar-powered desalination plant. 

Commissioned in 2024, it represents the most impressive technical and ecologically sustainable achievement in the industry. Built in just four months, half the industry standard, it now provides a stable, sustainable water supply for 500,000 people in a region where reliability is critical.

This project is a landmark achievement in sustainable water supply and crisis response, providing up to 2.75 million litres of clean drinking water per day, while operating at 80% efficiency with minimal environmental impact. By using solar power and real-time monitoring, it delivers clean water at just €0.22 per cubic meter, ensuring a cost-effective, scalable model for future desalination projects. Real-time tracking and monitoring of system performance, water production and dissolved solids levels allow Boreal Light and Grundfos to provide remote support, which is essential in a war-affected area. 

The impact of this project goes beyond numbers. It’s a blueprint for future crisis-response water infrastructure, with over 220 requests to replicate it across Ukraine. It demonstrates how innovation, collaboration and smart engineering can restore security and dignity to communities facing unimaginable hardships. But this nomination is not just about recognising technological advancement. It is about celebrating real-world change where it is needed most. 

Vote for Grundfos and support a future where no community is left without safe, clean water.