Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, GDF SUEZ and SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT have signed a research contract to study seawater desalination using solar power at the World Future Energy Forum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The contract provides for a study of the possible use of 100% solar power to desalinate seawater – which would be a world first.
The project is part of a contract signed in June 2014 by the SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT subsidiary Degrémont to construct a pilot seawater desalination plant potentially powered by 100% renewable energy and with minimal environmental impact. The challenge is important for a region experiencing strong economic development with limited water resources.
Over the past 15 years significant progress has been made in cutting the energy required for the desalination process in half. However, given the heavy energy consumption involved, the use of solar energy to power seawater desalination plants is a major technical and economic challenge.
SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT is a world leader in seawater desalination using reverse osmosis through its subsidiary Degrémont and a major player in the Middle East in water treatment and desalination.
Following the construction and operation of water treatment plants in Jordan, Degrémont completed the fifth expansion of the Doha West wastewater treatment plant, as well as wastewater treatment plants at Barwa City and Lusail in Qatar. The company recently supplied and installed 33 modular desalination units for treating brackish water at Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.
GDF SUEZ is the leading independent power and desalinated water producer in the Gulf Cooperation Council region where the Group owns five electricity generation and water production plants in the United Arab Emirates and manages a portfolio with an electricity production capacity of 27 GW and a desalination capacity of 5,273,000 m3/day, in operation and under construction.
The research contract will be undertaken by GDF SUEZ Lab Middle East, India & Africa” the new GDF SUEZ R&D laboratory at Abu Dhabi, supported by Laborelec and in collaboration with the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology and Degrémont.
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