Anglian Water to consult on desalination plant sites by 2027

This opportunity page is a BBC news article, not a tender notice. It reports that Anglian Water, the water utility for the East of England, has released more information about plans for two seawater desalination plants, one in Norfolk and one in Lincolnshire. The plants are meant to secure water supplies in what the company calls the driest and fastest-growing region of the UK. Anglian Water estimates that without intervention there would be a daily shortfall of roughly half of the water now entering its network by 2050. It also says it adds about 70,000 new customers each year. The desalination plants and two new reservoirs are part of the company's £11bn investment plan for 2025–2030.

The article says the main planning contract has already been awarded. In January, Anglian Water awarded a £29m contract to the TYPSA-Stantec partnership to develop the plans for both plants. The planned process would abstract water from the North Sea, then apply pre-treatment, reverse osmosis and remineralisation before blending the treated water into the supply. Brine would be dispersed through a long sea outfall with diffusing systems. Caister-on-Sea in Norfolk and Mablethorpe in Lincolnshire have been mentioned before as possible sites. The article also notes that brine discharge is controversial because of its possible impact on the marine environment.

No open procurement is described. The source gives no procedure type, lots, submission deadline, bid language, portal, selection criteria or award criteria, so no bidder requirements can be listed. The next steps are planning and consultation, not procurement. Anglian Water aims to have a shortlist of potential sites for both plants by the end of this year and to identify preferred sites in 2027. Further consultation and engagement will follow as the plans evolve. Any later procurement, for example for design, construction or operation of the plants, would need to be published separately before requirements can be stated.