Sydney-based Bluemont has secured exclusive distribution rights for Elemental Water Makers’ solar-powered desalination systems across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, expanding the region’s supplier base for off-grid water security solutions. The 18 August announcement covers supply, installation and life-cycle support, with targets spanning utilities, remote communities, resorts and emergency response.
Elemental Water Makers develops reverse-osmosis systems designed to run on renewable power, including battery-free configurations that use gravity and energy recovery to operate around the clock, features aimed at lowering lifetime costs where diesel is expensive or logistics are challenging. Company materials say deployments already span multiple island markets.
The Asian Development Bank warns climate impacts could reduce regional GDP by up to 17% by 2070 under high-emissions pathways, reinforcing the case for adaptation capital in water and coastal resilience. Recent Pacific projects, such as South Tarawa’s desalination plants in Kiribati, illustrate growing donor and utility familiarity with renewable-powered water assets, potentially shortening procurement cycles for modular systems.
Commercial traction will depend on local unit economics: diesel displacement, operator training and brine-management compliance, but a regional distributor with on-ground support may ease adoption and unlock blended finance where climate and resilience co-benefits apply. If early deployments prove reliable at village scale, solar desalination could shift from pilots to core infrastructure across atolls and tourism hubs.
