PHOTO
Saudi Arabia’s futuristic mega city Neom will adopt a pioneering solar technology to power a desalination plant to produce low cost, environmentally friendly water.
The smart city project on the Red Sea coast in the northwestern Saudi province of Tabuk, has signed an agreement with UK-based Solar Water Plc to build the first ever “solar dome” desalination plants in the megacity, Neom said in a statement.
Work on the “solar dome” project will start in February and is expected to be completed by the end of 2020.
The cost of producing water through the new project, estimated at $0.34/cubic metre is significantly lower than desalination plants using reverse osmosis methods.
How it works
Seawater will be pumped into a hydrological "solar dome" made from glass and steel, before it is superheated, evaporated and eventually precipitated as fresh water.
"NEOM's adoption of this pilot supports Saudi Arabia's sustainability goals, as outlined in the country's National Water Strategy 2030, and is fully aligned with the sustainable development goals set out by the United Nations," Abdulrahman Al-Fadli, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, said.
Nadhmi Al-Nasr, CEO of NEOM, said: "Easy access to abundant seawater and fully renewable energy resources means NEOM is perfectly placed to produce low cost, sustainable fresh water through solar desalination.”
David Reavley, CEO of Solar Water Plc said: "Currently, thousands of desalination plants around the world are heavily reliant on burning fossil fuels to extract water, poisoning our oceans in the process with excess brine.”
“Our desalination technology is 100% carbon neutral and entirely sustainable. In NEOM we have found a partner who has a strong vision of what a New Future looks like in harmony with nature," Reavley added.
(Writing by Gerard Aoun; editing by Seban Scaria)
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. The content does not provide tax, legal or investment advice or opinion regarding the suitability, value or profitability of any particular security, portfolio or investment strategy. Read our full disclaimer policy here.
© ZAWYA 2020
