The project intends to optimize the membrane distillation technology to treat reverse osmosis brines.
It will improve the water recovery and productivity of seawater reverse osmosis plants.
The project will also result in the reduction of the brine discharge volume, thereby increasing the environmental sustainability of the entire desalination process.
Abengoa is presently developing a seawater reverse osmosis project located in Ghantoot city, in Abu Dhabi’s border with Dubai.
The plant will be capable of producing 1,000 m3/d of desalted water using a hybrid system consisting in reverse osmosis in combination with a membrane distillation system.
Abengoa has a total water treatment capacity of more than 5 Mm3/d all globally, out of which 1.5 M m3/d are of water desalination.
The company said the research partnership will consolidate its commitment to R&D with the intention to enhance the performance of existing products in the water market and develop new technologies in order to solve difficulties in the water market.
Abengoa is expanding its presence in the Middle East with new projects. The company has recently said that it will develop the world’s largest solar-powered desalination plant in Saudi Arabia with a local water company.
The $130m facility at Al Khafji City in north eastern Saudi Arabia will desalinate 60,000 cubic metres of seawater each day.
In December 2014, Abengoa signed a memorandum of understanding with the South Korea-based Daelim Industrial for the development of large water projects globally.
