Page 20 - Impiantistica italiana

ASSOCIATION

have gone from using 17 kilowatt-hours of energy
per cubic meter of freshwater produced to 2.5, and
in some cases 2.2, dramatically reducing energy
use and carbon footprint. This shift, coupled with
energy recovery systems, has dramatically impro-
ved performance and lowered costs. Additionally,
membrane and plant performance has become
more reliable with the introduction of modular sy-
stems, automation, and improvements in plant
operations.
The IDRA membership
comprises public and private
“utilities, developers, regulators,
end-users, engineers, academia,
researchers, and scientists from
governments and corporations
across the globe
Nowadays, RO is the preferred technology in terms
of being cost-effective and offering increased ener-
gy performance and fl exibility. There is a strong drive to use renewable energy
In the large scheme of things, desalination is not (and replace fossil fuels) to power SWRO systems.
a relatively new science; it has existed since the The US Department of Energy has invested in pro-
1800s. However, recent developments in the pro- moting innovation with several grand challenges
cess have enhanced cost improvements and effi - for renewables to power desalination systems. We
ciencies. also see modular design approaches and the im-
plementation of Artifi cial Intelligence (AI) and smart
The IDRA is a connection point systems to lower maintenance and performance
for the global desalination and costs. We increasingly see a nexus approach in
deploying power and water systems coupled with
“water reuse community and a renewable energy in places like the Gulf Coopera-
United Nations Environmental tion Council (GCC) region, Singapore, and Island
countries. Even small scale in the north of Brazil,
and Social Council (ECOSOC) where the brackish water has become salty, small
accredited non-profit remote RO units have been installed using solar

association energy and battery technology. Membranes are
being designed with less energy demand and fl ux.
The Al Taweelah desalination plant in Abu Dhabi,
Over the last fi fty years, there has been a shift from the largest in the world, is set to produce 909,200
the highly energy-intensive thermal desalination m³/day, with low carbon SWRO and 30% renewa-
process to lower energy systems of seawater re- ble energy, which they aim to increase.
verse osmosis (SWRO). The fi rst SWRO plant went The Saudi Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC),
online in California in 1965. On the energy side, we the largest desalination utility, forecasts to achieve
a 26% reduction in carbon emissions, a 100% re-
duction in consumption, and a 43% reduction in
gas consumption by 2024. In line with Saudi Vision
2030, exceptional growth in the water sector is ex-
pected. The NEOM project in Saudi Arabia inclu-
des the design of a new city on a line, supported
by renewable-powered desalination systems and
brine resource recovery applications.
Managing the obvious and life-saving benefi ts of
desalination with cost, energy, and environmental
effi ciencies is the objective of almost all the new
technologies being introduced within the industry.
We are always looking to improve the treatment of
the by-products produced by the process and to
use the by-products. In parity, the work of innova-
tors in this promising fi eld to convert brine concen-
trate into mineral products and extract metals is of
equal strategic importance for a growing number of
advanced industries. Mining companies are deve-

16 Impiantistica Italiana - Maggio-Giugno 2024