Aqualia, a global leader in water cycle management, presented at the IDRA (International Desalination and Reuse Association) World Congress in Abu Dhabi cutting-edge advancements in desalination and water reuse. 

 

Held biennially in different parts of the world, this premier event, last week, gathered top industry experts to exchange insights and explore sustainable solutions for the global water crisis.

 

The 2024 Congress, themed "Addressing Water Scarcity," focused on strategies to meet the rising global demand for water across diverse sectors, including residential, agricultural, industrial, and commercial use. Aqualia’s participation underscored its commitment to driving innovation, sharing its latest technological milestones that offer practical, scalable solutions to one of the world’s most pressing challenges.

 

Key projects

Aqualia unveiled key projects that redefine sustainable water management. Among them were advancements in brine mining, which involves extracting high-value materials such as lithium and vanadium from desalination waste, and innovations in efficient desalination processes. 

 

The company also showcased its remarkable progress in transforming wastewater treatment plants into biofactories—sustainable facilities capable of producing renewable energy and valuable resources while eliminating waste and minimising environmental impact.

 

Shaping the future of water innovation

Aqualia’s experts played a prominent role in the Congress’ thought leadership sessions. Víctor Monsalvo, Head of Eco-Efficiency at Aqualia’s R&D department, and Juan Arévalo, Project Manager, delivered a series of impactful presentations on groundbreaking water technologies.

 

Monsalvo introduced the Sea4Value project, a European initiative that embodies Aqualia’s leadership in brine mining. Tested at the Aqualia Wave mobile laboratory in Tenerife’s La Caleta desalination plant, the project has developed innovative techniques to transform desalination brine into a valuable resource. 

 

The project focuses on recovering critical minerals and metals, including magnesium and lithium, with significant applications across industries. Monsalvo also presented on deionisation technology, which removes electrically charged dissolved substances such as salts and minerals from water, further advancing water purification methods.

 

In another session titled "Desalination and Reuse: Innovation and Emerging Technologies," Juan Arévalo highlighted the application of biomimetic membranes for brackish water desalination. He detailed the success story of the Dénia desalination plant, where cutting-edge technology enables desalination powered by organic matter from wastewater, eliminating the need for external electricity sources. Additionally, Arévalo discussed how machine learning is driving energy efficiency at the Canary Islands desalination plant, positioning the Aqualia Wave center in Tenerife as a hub for innovation, integrating desalination, waste recovery, and renewable energy solutions.

 

Reinforcing Aqualia’s leadership

Aqualia’s presence at IDRA 2024 exemplifies its unwavering commitment to addressing global water challenges with innovation and sustainability. By leveraging advanced desalination and reuse technologies, the company continues to set new benchmarks in water resource management, aligning with its mission to create a resilient, sustainable future for communities worldwide.--TradeArabia News Service