The Qatar Electricity and Water Company (QEWC) and Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop two pilot projects that could ‘radically reduce the cost and energy use’ of desalination.
The pilots include a reverse osmosis test to develop and optimize pre- treatment processes to ensure reliable operation in desalination facilities, even during algal blooms; and a multi effect distillation (MED) pilot to develop patented ideas that reduce the energy consumption and improve energy efficiency of MED technology.
QEWC has put forward the test site at Dukhan coast for the pilots and agreed to support the project with facilities, utilities, and skilled labor to ensure 24 hour – seven day continuous operation.
The State of Qatar depends on desalinated seawater to satisfy 99% of its municipal water demand. The desalination methods used in Qatar and most of the Gulf Cooperation Council region are energy intensive and thus the desalted water is expensive. Dr. Khalid Al-Subai, acting executive director at QEERI said: “This agreement with QEWC is crucial to test some of the processes developed by QEERI that can radically reduce the cost and energy use of current desalination methods. We highly appreciate QEWC’s offer.”
Mr. Fahad H. Al Mohannadi, general manager and managing director of QEWC, added: “Qatar Electricity and Water Company aim to address future challenges in water scarcity and have selected a partner for future research to build capabilities in Qatar and recognize ways and means to overcome those challenges, with the best possible technologies.”