The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority has received 29 expressions of interest for the first phase of the Hassyan seawater reverse osmosis plant in the emirate, as it works to provide residents with more desalinated water through sustainable and cost-efficient means.

The plant, which will have a capacity of 120 million gallons per day, will be the utility's first to operate on the independent water producer model. It is expected to launch in phases in 2025 and 2026, state news agency Wam reported on Saturday.

Increasing operational efficiency in decoupling desalination from electricity production will save about Dh13 billion and reduce carbon emissions by 2030, said Saeed Al Tayer, managing director and chief executive of Dewa.

"According to our plans, 100 per cent of desalinated water will be produced by a mix of clean energy that uses both renewable energy and waste heat. This will allow Dubai to exceed global targets for using clean energy to desalinate water," he said.

The UAE depends heavily on desalination to supply water for drinking and industrial purposes.

Up to 42 per cent of the UAE's potable water comes from about 70 major desalination plants. These account for about 14 per cent of the world's total production of desalinated water, government data shows.