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Solar desalination plant announced

By Steven Willis on 15th April, 2010

A massive solar powered desalination plant is to be built in the Saudi Arabian city of Al Khafji, it has been announced this week. The scheme, which is cutting edge in that it will be powered completely by solar energy, will produce almost 8 million gallons of clean drinking water a day - enough to serve 100,000 people.

The renewable technology that will be used at the facility, developed jointly by the King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology and IBM, employs ultra high concentrator photovoltaics (UHCPV) to deliver more efficient performance and lower running costs.

Desalination is seen as a key technology to combating water shortages and access to poor quality drinking water around the world, but the plant development remains restrictively high. By using a lower-cost renewable power source, the Saudi plant may usher in a new generation

"The culmination of our joint research has enabled us to radically reduce the cost of water through the development of nano-technologies that revolutionise traditional methods and renewable energy sources," said Takreem Al Tohamy, from IBM Middle East and North Africa.


Category:  Company Updates

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