BW Offshore launches BW Elara - floating desalination solutions powered by BW Water technology

Core Insights - BW Offshore and BW Group have established a 50/50 joint venture, BW Elara, to design and build Floating Desalination Units (FDUs) to address global water scarcity [1][5] - The FDUs will leverage BW Offshore's experience in floating production units and BW Water's desalination expertise to provide a rapidly deployable fresh water solution [1][6] Company Overview - BW Offshore will manage the overall execution of the FDU project, including hull design, construction, and system integration, while BW Water will focus on designing and building the desalination plant using reverse osmosis systems [2] - BW Offshore has a fleet of FPSOs and floating wind solutions, with around 900 employees and is publicly listed on the Oslo stock exchange [8] - BW Group is a global maritime company with a fleet of over 450 vessels, including the largest gas fleet in the world, and has investments in renewables [8] - BW Water is a leading provider of water and wastewater solutions, with over 200 installations worldwide and around 300 employees [10] Industry Context - Access to fresh water is becoming a critical global challenge, particularly in mid-size municipal and industrial settings where existing emergency supply options are inadequate [3] - The FDU concept offers a flexible and scalable solution that can be deployed within three months and supply 20 to 40 million liters of drinking water per day, addressing urgent needs such as droughts and temporary industrial demand spikes [4][7] - The joint venture aims to develop and operate a multi-regional fleet of FDUs, indicating strong market potential for this innovative solution [4][6]