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The Abu Dhabi Startups Are Developing A Floating Technology Capable Of Turning Seawater Into Drinking Water Using Solar Light
In the face of extreme heat summers, high amounts of solar light, and drought worldwide, the lack of water in some areas has served as a reminder that this scarcity is an urgent issue that will only worsen with climate change. Approximately two billion people around the world already lack simplified access to drinking water, according to data from the WHO (World Health Organization).
For some of these countries, there are plants that provide a viable technology to make water drinkable, that is, to remove salt from seawater to meet the fresh water needs of society. The Middle East, for example, has the highest concentration of these technologies in startups worldwide.
However, some of these startup technologies, still primarily powered by fossil fuels, require a lot of energy, and the process generates a highly salty waste called brine, which can harm marine ecosystems and wildlife when pumped back into the sea.
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For this reason, some startups and researchers are utilizing the centuries-old solar distillation technology, which uses only solar light to purify water. Although the solar technology is still far from producing fresh water volumes comparable to those generated by desalination plants, this new solar technology from startups can be highly valuable for off-grid or coastal communities.
What Is This Technology Created By Startups?
The startup Manhat, headquartered in Abu Dhabi and founded in 2019, is producing a new technology that consists of a floating device powered by solar light capable of distilling water without the need for electricity or the creation of brine.
The technology is a greenhouse structure that floats on the ocean surface: the solar light heats and evaporates the water beneath the structure, separating it from the salt crystals left behind in the sea. As temperatures drop, the water condenses into fresh water and is collected inside.
“It’s really similar to the natural water cycle,” comments Saeed Alhassan Alkhazraji, the company’s founder and an associate professor at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi. Saeed also says that solar evaporation has been used for this purpose for a long time, but it usually involves putting water in a basin where, once the water evaporates, the salt is left behind.
Differentiation of the New Startup Technology
Unlike traditional solar still technologies, Manhat’s still floats on the ocean, drawing water directly from the sea. With this difference, salt does not accumulate in the apparatus, and the angle of the collection cylinder prevents water droplets from evaporating back into the sea, says Alhassan.
In early 2022, the patented technology of startup Manhat won the Water Europe Innovation award aimed at small and medium enterprises with innovative solutions in the water sector, praised for its ability to produce fresh water with “zero carbon footprint and zero brine discharge.”
The startup also envisions using its technology in floating farms, which would utilize its desalination devices to provide fresh water irrigation to crops without needing to transport water and its associated emissions.
This principle would greatly benefit arid coastal areas where land is intensely cultivated, says Alhassan. “If you produce water (fresh) on the ocean surface and use it for agriculture, you can effectively allow arable land to be rejuvenated,” he reports, adding that the technology could work well for countries like the Maldives, which has little land available for desalination plants.
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