Saudi Arabia is building a solar-powered desalination plant using adsoprtion technology, in one of seven strategic projects that include the nation’s first nuclear research reactor.
A symbolic foundation stone for the 5,200 m3/d desalination facility, which is to be located on the Red Sea coast at Yanbu, was laid by Saudi leader King Salman during a visit to King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), in Riyadh, on 5 November 2018.
The official Saudi news agency described the project as “the first industrial application model that uses desalination adsorption technology”.
The other projects endorsed by King Salman include the nuclear research facility, and development of an aircraft fuselage at King Khalid International Airport; as well as advanced materials projects, such as those at the carbonic fibre production lab, and research on aluminium-produced nano materials (MOF-303), which absorb water from the atmosphere at low humidity.
Adsorption desalination plant opens in Saudi Arabia (September 2016)