Aramco Entrepreneurship and GE announced winners of a global technology competition to identify cutting edge desalination solutions using renewable energy at the opening of the Saudi Water & Power Forum in Riyadh.

To promote a culture of technology-based entrepreneurship and venturing in the Kingdom, Aramco Entrepreneurship launched a global competition in the area of seawater desalination using renewable energy in partnership with GE in April 2014.

The objective of the Global Innovation Challenge was not only to solicit innovative solutions for improving desalination efficiency but also to avail of these solutions for the community by connecting the local business community with global innovators, to incubate them regionally and create technology-based ventures.

Abdul Rahman Al Hussein, Saudi Minister of Water & Electricity, announced the winners, who will receive cash prizes, and further possible support toward development and deployment of the innovative solutions. This competition received 108 submissions representing 32 countries. The largest number of country-based submissions came from the US, followed by Saudi Arabia.

Al Hussein said: “With energy accounting for nearly 70 percent of the desalination cost, identifying efficient, renewable energy solutions will have a long-term impact on the water sector, particularly in the GCC region.”

“The competition also highlights that Saudi Arabia is not only a consumer of technology but also a developer of innovative solutions by partnership with others,” he added.

While only four prizes were awarded, a large number of high quality submissions were received, and many of these address other critical needs of Saudi Arabia, such as food security.

The winners of the global technology innovation challenge:

•    Jaime Mateus – Anfiro (USA) for his team’s project on “Ultra-high permeability RO membranes for desalination”

•    Marco Rosa-Clot, Antonio Naviglio and Gianfranco Caruso of Florence University (Italy) for their project on “SHAMS-Titanium MED desalination project”

•    Kim Choon Ng of National University of Singapore with the researchers from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Saudi Arabia) for the project on “Hybrid Multi-Effect Adsorption Desalination: An Emerging High Efficiency and Low Cost Desalination”

•    Norbert Kuipers, Albert Jensen and their team – TNO (The Netherlands) for the project on “Simultaneous Production of Potable Water and Power from High Pressure Membrane Distillation driven by Solar Heat (CSP).”

Sami Khursani, managing director of Aramco Entrepreneurship, said: “To further promote joint development, the global competition and the subsequent events connect global innovators with local entrepreneurs, so that these solutions can be developed and deployed to create new industries and manufacturing facilities in Saudi Arabia, ultimately creating high-value jobs.”

Hisham Al Bahkali, president & CEO, GE Saudi Arabia, said: “Assuring reliable supplies of energy and water for people are two goals that are central to policy makers anywhere in the world. By focusing on renewable energy technological innovations for the desalination process, the challenge opened up a worldwide opportunity to find innovative, impactful, feasible and scalable projects.”

“The initiative highlights our focus on promoting innovation that can have a transformational impact on humanity by fostering strong linkages between the industry and the research community for the common good. The potential application of the winning technologies will be a game changer for Saudi’s water sector,” he added.

This is the first global innovation event for Saudi Aramco that addresses a specific technical challenge facing the Kingdom, conducted with GE as a partner.

The extensive proposals received were reviewed by large multidisciplinary teams from Saudi Aramco, GE and SWCC.

The Saudi Water & Power Forum 2015 is an annual forum and exhibition for the water and power stakeholders, which opened yesterday (January 12). It will conclude tomorrow at Al Faisaliah Hotel in Riyadh. – TradeArabia News Service