Sustainable Water Supply Loans
The EBRD Provided a €6.4 Million Loan to RWD for Water Supply
Colin Smith — January 8, 2026
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a senior loan of up to €6.4 million to Ridgewood for Water Desalination (RWD) to finance construction of new desalination plants and upgrades to existing facilities along Egypt’s Red Sea and Mediterranean coasts. The financing is presented as support for national water‑security objectives, with stated aims to increase freshwater supply for tourism and industrial users, improve operational efficiency at existing plants, and enable integration of renewable energy to lower the carbon intensity of desalination operations.
Key implementation and evaluation considerations include the energy intensity of desalination processes and the degree to which the financed projects incorporate renewable generation or storage to reduce operational emissions; the technical approach to brine management and environmental compliance at coastal sites; permitting and interconnection timelines for both generation and desalination assets; and the tariff and offtake arrangements that will determine project bankability. Monitoring and reporting on water output, energy consumption per cubic meter, and environmental safeguards will be important for stakeholders assessing the loan’s contribution to sustainable water supply and to Egypt’s broader climate and development objectives.
