This company harnesses solar power to solve the water crisis

Solar Water PLC created an affordable and sustainable desalination system that produces fresh water from sea water on an industrial scale without causing any emissions.

Its Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) solution is a stainless steel solar dome that leverages solar power to evaporate sea water and condensate it into fresh water. The system also uses solar concentrators and heliostat mirrors to generate the required level of thermal energy.

According to the company, this technology could provide millions of litres of fresh water per day while being entirely carbon neutral. The resulting water can readily serve urban development, agriculture and tourism but needs secondary treatment to be drinkable.

The desalination process also produces salt and other minerals such as high-purity marketable Potassium Sulphate, Magnesium Hydroxide and Calcium Carbonate, relieving pressure on the nearby marine environments.

Why does it matter? Even though the Earth is “the blue planet,” only 3% of its water is freshwater. Over a billion people lack access to it, and demand will exceed supply by 40% in 2030 due to climate change and population growth. Moreover, the existing desalination plants rely on fossil fuels and cannot scale without worsening the situation.

The water crisis already generates wars, deaths and irreversible damage to marine life. In this context, environmental-friendly solutions are more than welcome. Our future literally depends on them.