The International Desalination Association (IDA) has organized a session titled Desalination: The Sustainable Solution And Hope For Future Generations at the 6th World Water Forum in Marseille, France, during 12-17 March 2012.

IDA‘s new Energy Task Force (ETF) will present this session aimed at reducing energy consumption in desalination and developing guidelines for reduction of energy in desalination processes, both thermal and membrane, with the specific goal of achieving a 20% energy reduction in desalination by 2015. The ETF will also investigate the use of hybrid processes and alternative energy sources in desalination.

At the forum, the ETF will promote and announce commitments to its energy reduction challenge by leading companies, scientific institution, utilities, developers and government agencies. IDA already received several commitments from ministries and companies to improve energy efficiencies and the carbon footprint of desalination.

Through the ETF, the IDA will establish a network of interested professionals to share best practices for energy efficiency for desalination. After presentations of successful global desalination programs, there will be a one-hour discussion between panelists and the audience on energy aspects of desalination.

The 6th World Water Forum in Marseille is expected to bring together over 25,000 participants, and IDA considers this session as a major opportunity to present desalination to the world as well as present commitments by organizations and companies to energy reduction.

The session will be on 14 March 2012 (14:30-16:00). Anyone interested in participating who has ongoing commitments or solutions in this field should contact Leon Awerbuch or Patricia Burke via IDA.