DUBAI, UAE – Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has signed a partnership agreement with Dutch startup Desolenator BV, to build a sustainable, carbon-neutral water purification and desalination system based on solar thermal energy.
The innovative design is intended to be 100 percent reliant on solar energy at a target Levelized Cost of potable water production to be less than US$0.02 per liter.
As per the agreement, a pilot water desalination plant has been installed at the Jebel Ali Power Plant and Desalination Complex, with a production capacity of minimum 1,000 liters of potable water per day.
The collaboration is part of DEWA’s participation in the Dubai Future Accelerators (DFA) program, one of the initiatives under the Dubai Future Foundation.
DFA is the largest accelerator program in the world.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA, said that the step aligns with DEWA’s continuous efforts to find proactive, pioneering, sustainable and innovative solutions for water desalination.
Such efforts include establishing partnerships with startups, utilizing research and development to provide potable water using innovative and sustainable solutions.
“DEWA also provides technical expertise to assess and analyze new research and development opportunities. The partnership with Desolenator also supports DEWA’s efforts to achieve the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050 to provide 100 percent of Dubai’s total production capacity from clean energy sources by 2050,” he added.
William Janssen, CEO of Desolenator, stated, “We are delighted to have built a fruitful relationship with DEWA.”
He said, “To address the global water and climate crisis, we need new collaboration between innovators and organizations. DEWA has shown the vision and support that stands as a great example for the world. Desolenator strives to create partnerships that support futuristic thinking.”