AUSTRALIA – The proposed desalination site at Billy Lights Point in Port Lincoln, South Australia, faces controversy as scientists dispute research supporting its suitability. The South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) produced a report for SA Water, endorsing Billy Lights Point as the best location for a desalination plant without impacting the marine environment. Despite government support for the findings, industry pushback and community protests have raised concerns. Critics argue that SARDI's modeling is flawed, especially regarding wind-driven water currents and the potential impact on aquaculture zones. The proposal is part of efforts to secure water supply for Eyre Peninsula, facing depletion of potable water by 2025. (ABC News)
AZERBAIJAN – Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency "Azersu" OJSC and Israel’s Mekorot National Water Company have signed an agreement for technical consulting services in the seawater desalination project. Azersu Chairman Zaur Mikayilov highlighted Azerbaijan's efforts in reconstructing drinking and wastewater supply systems, utilizing global expertise. A pilot project for seawater desalination to enhance water supply in Baku and neighboring areas was initiated following a presidential order in April 2023. The collaboration with Israeli companies, particularly in processing Caspian Sea water, is emphasized. Mekorot Chairman Amit Lang shared that his company meets 90% of Israel's drinking water demand, with 60% sourced from seawater desalination. (AZERTAC)
PHILIPPINES – The Isla Mactan Cordova Corp.’s desalination facility in Cebu, described as the largest in the Philippines, is 70% complete and expected to be operational by December. Located on a 3.5-hectare property in Cordova, Cebu, the reverse osmosis desalination facility can produce up to 20,000 m3/d, expandable to 50,000 m3/d. The project is a public-private partnership under the build-operate-transfer scheme, with IMCC, a subsidiary of Vivant Corp., turning over the facility to the local government unit of Cordova after 25 years. (The Freeman)
SPAIN – Spain plans to invest €14.9 billion ($16 billion) in water projects to address drought, with nearly €12 billion allocated to initiatives such as desalination, water reuse, pipeline efficiency improvements, and infrastructure regulation. Over €3 billion will be used to "digitize water" through new technologies and big data for improved water management. The government declares that 14.6% of Spain is currently in a "drought emergency," and an additional 27.4% is on drought alert. Despite recent heavy rains, the government emphasizes that it has not fully resolved existing water problems and attributes Spain's increased vulnerability to drought to climate change. The drought is impacting grain production, leading to a 40% decrease, and Spain will need to import around 20 million tons of grain. Fruit and vegetable production are also affected, with reduced planting areas due to drought, and a warning about a second consecutive poor olive oil yield. The government highlights the significance of weather conditions in the coming weeks for the upcoming season. (AA)
Due to drought in Rialb, the Rialb reservoir in Lleida, is at just over 8% of its. Spain. Credit: AA
SAUDI ARABIA – Italian multinational company De Nora has been selected by ACWA Power to collaborate on advancing the energy transition, green energy production, and water and wastewater disinfection technologies. The partnership aims to jointly perform Research & Development of key and new technologies to contribute to the Saudi 2030 Vision. De Nora's portfolio of solutions for clean water and green hydrogen production will be utilized by ACWA, and the collaboration will draw on their experience in high-profile projects in the region, such as the world's largest seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant and the world's largest green hydrogen production plant. The partnership was formalized through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the Saudi-Italian Investment Forum. (PUMPS AFRICA)
SCIENCE – The National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI), a $110 million research program led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, is driving breakthrough research to enhance water treatment and desalination technologies. NAWI aims to reduce the cost, energy, and greenhouse gas emissions of water technologies, fostering a circular water economy. The program focuses on treating unconventional water sources, such as brackish groundwater, municipal and industrial wastewater, and agricultural runoff. NAWI's pilot projects include a simple and automated electrochemical arsenic-removal process, an innovative electrodialysis approach to intensify brine concentration, a technique for extracting scale-forming ions from brine solutions, an ion-selective membrane technology for Electrodialysis Metathesis (EDM), and a comparison of reverse osmosis and a novel treatment train for municipal wastewater reuse. These projects aim to make water treatment more efficient, environmentally friendly, and accessible to underserved communities. (Berkeley Lab)