Renewable Energy, Coal Seam Gas
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Methane to power Queensland CSG desalination plant
A desalination plant in southwest Queensland for the burgeoning coal-seam gas (CSG) industry is to be built by a consortium of GE and Laing O'Rourke for leading Australian gas explorer and producer QGC.
Commission warns Australia about gas-production wastewater
Handling the wastewater resulting from coal-seam gas (CSG) production in Australia is likely to require a precautionary approach that will demand innovation from water managers and planners, and significantly greater coordination with existing project approval processes, the National Water Commission warned in December 2010.
Green energy firm plans frack water desalination
Australian renewable energy firm AGL plans to install a 2 Ml/d desalination plant to treat water produced during hydraulic fracturing (fracking) at its Gloucester coal-seam gas project.
Solar/MED design aims to desalinate CSG water
A three-way partnership in Australia has entered a solar-powered desalination system for the coal‑seam gas (CSG) industry into the Australian Innovation Challenge being run by Shell and The Australian newspaper.
Masdar city, Masdar Institute, Laborelec, and Degrémont to collaborate in renewable-powered desalination project
Abu Dhabi university, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, has unveiled recently its research collaboration with three leading energy and clean technology corporations in a research project supporting the development of a full-scale, completely solar-powered, seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Renewables advocate takes chair in desalination at Murdoch University
Murdoch University's School of Engineering and IT has appointed Professor Wendell Ela as the inaugural chair of desalination and water treatment. He is an advocate of the use of renewable energy for desalination and has developed small solar desalination systems for remote Navajo communities in USA.
Degremont chooses Dow for green reverse osmosis pilot
Suez Envionnement water treatment subsidiary, Degremont Technologies, has selected Dow Water and Process Solutions to supply ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis membranes for a pilot desalination project in Abu Dhabi, in partnership with renewable energy company Masdar.
Fifth project enters the Masdar trial
An ongoing energy efficiency trial, in Abu Dhabi, of four new desalination plant designs is to get a fifth participant.
EDS publishes June solar desalination course program
The European Desalination Society (EDS) has published the program for its three-day intensive course on Desalination With Solar Energy to be held in Almeria, Spain, on 11‑13 June 2014.
Sanz and Awerbuch to lead IDA WEX sessions
The International Desalination Association (IDA) has released details of the two desalination sessions it is organizing as a Support Partner for WEX Global - the Water and Energy Exchange in Madrid.
Global green group seeks to carve carbon emissions out of desalination
The Global Clean Water Desalination Alliance - H₂0 minus CO₂ initiative, launched at the current climate talks in Paris, has called on its 17-nation membership to use clean energy to power new desalination plants. The call was part of the alliance's aim to tackle the water-energy nexus and climate change.
EDS unveils course on desalination and renewable energy
The European Desalination Society (EDA) has announced a four‑day intensive course on Wind and Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Powered Desalination Systems (Reverse Osmosis and Electrodialysis Reversal) to be held in the Canary Islands.
Pacific Institute reports on desalination energy use
The Pacific Institute has published the next instalment of its series on Key Issues For Seawater Desalination in California, this time looking at energy requirements and associated greenhouse gas emissions for desalinated water.
IDE to design PRO power-generation pilot in Norway
The Norwegian renewable-energy company Statkraft has made an agreement for IDE Technologies to design and later purchase and construct a 2 MW osmotic power-generation pilot plant in close cooperation with Statkraft.
RFP to follow UAE renewable-energy desalination launch
A pilot program to test and develop advanced energy-efficient seawater desalination technologies that could be powered by renewable energy sources was launched on 17 January 2013 by Masdar, the UAE renewable energy company.
Wave energy for Perth southern desalination plant?
Australian wave-energy developer Carnegie Wave Energy Ltd (CWE) announced on 5 July 2012 that it had been advised by West Australia's Water Corporation that it wished to move forward on discussions for up to 2MW of renewable energy supply for the Southern Seawater Desalination Plant on an exclusive basis.
Canada/Norway study of pretreatment for osmotic power
Pretreatment of fresh water for an osmotic power plant is to be studied by Canada's Hydro-Quebec as part of a three-year agreement with Norway's Statkraft to speed up the development of osmotic power.
Chinese desalination import ratio to fall, says report
Localisation of desalination products and systems in China is targeted to rise from 60% to 90% by 2020, according to market researchers Frost & Sullivan.
Desalination/reuse in UK/Israel water agreement
Desalination, water reuse and use of renewable energy in desalination and water reclamation were included in an agreement signed on 21 December 2011 between British Water, which represents the UK water industry supply chain, and MATIMOP, the Israeli Industry Centre for Research & Development.
Grant for Texas pilot wind-powered desalination plant
The Texas Department of Rural Affairs (TDRA) has made a US$ 2.75 million grant to Mitchell County, Texas, towards a US$ 8 million pilot project to use wind power for a brackish-water desalination project.
Acciona to supply renewable energy to Acuamed desalination plants
Spanish company Acciona has received a contract to supply power to all the desalination and water treatment plants and other installations in Spain managed by the government agency Aguas de las Cuencas Mediterraneas (Acuamed).
EDS promotes learning on desalination and renewable energy
The European Desalination Society is promoting two sets of courses looking at desalination using renewable energies.
Renewable-energy desalination community seeks to start association
The renewable-energy (RE) desalination community should organize itself into a body that will represent the sector and lobby for its interests, says a new report.
Siemens signs wind desalination MoU in Australia
Siemens Australia has announced a partnership with Windesal, a South Australia company using technology designed in Denmark, to develop clean technologies and wind-powered desalination plants.
New South Wales premier switches on Sydney desalination plant
Sydney's seawater reverse-osmosis desalination plant was switched on by New South Wales premier Kristina Keneally on 28 January 2008, providing water to meet up to 15% of Sydney's water needs.
Acuamed desalination plants to use renewable energy
All the desalination plants owned by Acuamed, the Spanish water supplier, as well as distribution networks and company offices, will be run on renewable energy, the company announced on 22 December 2009.
European desalination conference program published
The full programme for the European Desalination Society's conference and exhibition in Baden Baden, Germany, on 17-20 May 2009 is now available.
Masdar green desalination competition kicks off
All four participants in the competition to develop sustainable means to meet the United Arab Emirates' potable water demand have begun operating small-scale experimental desalination plants at a pilot facility set up by the competition organizer, Masdar, in Abu Dhabi.
Oman funds renewable desalination research
Oman has approved funding for research into harnessing renewable energy sources for water desalination in the sultanate.
Australia's MAK Water buys Clearmake for expansion
Australian reverse-osmosis desalination manufacturer MAK Industrial Water Systems has acquired Queensland-based Clearmake Water Treatment & Recycling Solutions as part of a national expansion strategy across Australia.
Queensland legislates for centralised CSG brine disposal
The Queensland state government in Australia is introducing legislation to bring about centralised treatment and disposal of water and brine produced from the coal-seam gas (CSG) industry.
Amiad provides prefiltration for Australian membrane projects
Two very different contracts for prefiltration equipment prior to membrane water treatment and desalination have been won by Amiad in Australia.
GE forms salt-extraction consortium in Australia
An agreement which brings together GE, Penrice Soda Holdings Ltd, Australia's only manufacturer of soda ash and sodium bicarbonate, and Australian coal-seam gas (CSG) producer QGC Pty Ltd was announced on 24 October 2011.
GE-Osmoflo alliance creates powerful Australian presence
A strategic alliance giving Australian desalination and water recycling company Osmoflo access to products produced by water and process giant GE was unveiled at the International Desalination Association World Congress in Perth, Australia, on 6 September 2011.
IDA 2015 World Congress draws 1,700 delegates
More than 1,700 delegates from 63 countries attended the International Desalination Association's (IDA's) 2015 World Congress held in San Diego recently according to the association's key metrics published this week. Awards for papers and presentations topped US$ 30,000.
IDE marks Australian push with new Brisbane and Sydney offices
Israeli water treatment company, IDE Technologies, has marked its bid to expand operations in the Australian water treatment and coal seam gas (CSG) industries with new offices in Sydney and Brisbane.
Australia funds water study for coal-seam gas industry
The Australian government is spending up to Aus$ 3.88 million (US$ 3.61 million) on a water feasibility study for the Queensland coal-seam gas industry.
Queensland gas desalination project halted
Dalby Regional Council in Queensland, Australia, has decided not to proceed with a previously announced joint venture with Arrow Energy that would have seen an Aus$ 16 million desalination plant begin operations near Dalby before the end of 2009.
Desalitech lands US$ 11 million in venture capital funding
US desalination firm Desalitech has landed US$ 11 million in venture capital from existing investor, Liberation Capital, along with AquAgro Fund. The money will help Desalitech expand sales of its water purification products, the company said.

US DoE announces $100 million for Energy-Water Desalination Hub
The US Department of Energy (DoE) has announced $100 million in funding to establish an Energy-Water Desalination Hub.

Fluence secures $50 million debt facility for BOOT projects
Fluence Corporation has secured a $50 million non-recourse debt facility for financing build, own, operate and transfer projects.
Low-grade waste heat holds promise for desalination
Low-grade, waste heat produced by industry may be applicable to distillation desalination to make fresh water where revere osmosis is not suitable according to findings by the University of Western Australia (UWA).

US DOE to harness 'power of competition' in Water Security Grand Challenge
The US Department of Energy has set out ambitions to harness the "power of competition" to drive innovation in water technology through a new programme of activity.
Gulf should look to solar to power desalination expert says
The Abu Dhabi Environment Agency has called on Arab Gulf states to shift their focus to solar and other renewable energy when considering power for desalination.
Masdar picks four firms to test new desalination techniques
Abu Dhabi clean energy company, Masdar, has selected four international water technology firms to test techniques that could reduce the energy intensity of desalination and lead to a large renewably powered water purification station.

WorleyParsons acquires Jacobs' energy, chemicals, and resources division
Australia's WorleyParsons is purchasing the energy, chemicals, and resources (ECR) division of Jacobs in the US for $3.3 billion, comprising $2.6 billion in cash and 58.2 million WorleyParsons shares.
Desalination quartet booked for Masdar pilot plants in UAE
Three major contractors in the global desalination business - Abengoa, Degrémont and Sidem/Veolia - together with forward-osmosis developer Trevi Systems, were awarded contracts on 5 May 2014 by Abu Dhabi's Masdar, to each start the construction of a 1,500 m³/d desalination plant as part of Masdar's pilot project announced in 2013.
Solar mobile desalination plant inaugurated in Egypt
The Egyptian State Information Service reported that a mobile water desalination plant powered by solar energy was inaugurated in Marsa Matrouh governorate on 18 April 2014.

Jordan's $2.82 billion development to include desalination
Jordan has unveiled a project to develop a zone north of Aqaba of 109 kilometres squared, to include desalination capacity of 329,000 m3/d.
Solar power installed soon for Nauru desalination plant
Singapore's Hitachi-Aquatech has awarded a contract to two New Zealand companies for a 131 kWp solar system to power a desalination plant for the Pacific island of Nauru.
EDS launches 2014 desalination courses with Rome event
The European Desalination Society (EDS) kicks off a list of six events in its series of Master Courses with a three-day course in Rome, Italy, on Membrane Technology, Process & System Design on 3‑5 March 2014.
Topics and presenters announced for IDA Academy course
The next International Desalination Association (IDA) Academy course, to be held at the International Water Summit in Abu Dhabi on 21‑22 January 2014 will feature Integration of Hybrid Technologies with Renewable Energy to Improve the Sustainability of Water Desalination and Sustainable Operation with Advanced Membrane Filtration.
Bidding for largest solar desalination plant opens soon
Tenders for the world's largest solar-powered seawater desalination plant in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, will be invited next month by utility company Utico Middle East.
Detailed design finished for wave-energy desalination
Australian wave-energy developer Carnegie Wave Energy Ltd announced on 31 October 2013 the completion of the detailed design of its wave‑powered desalination pilot plant.
ERI to cooperate with Koreans on PRO for energy
Energy Recovery Inc (ERI) announced on 15 October 2013 that it has signed a mutual cooperation agreement with Seoul-based global company GS Engineering & Construction Corporation (GS E&C Corp), part of Korean conglomerate GS Group, to significantly advance osmotic power generation using ERI's PX Pressure Exchanger® technology.
Desalination capacity increasing by 50% in 2013 says IDA
Desalination plants with a total capacity of 6 million m³/d are expected to come on line during 2013, a 50% increase on 2012, according to new data from the International Desalination Association and GWI DesalData.

Egypt pledges $51 billion for water projects over 20 years
Egypt is stepping up efforts to address water scarcity, pledging EGP 900 billion ($51 billion) for a national water management plan over 20 years.
Saudi solar desalination push nears end of Phase 1
The first of three phases of the King Abdullah Initiative for Solar Water Desalination is expected to be operational by the end of this year, according to reports from Saudi Arabia.
Water Corporation cooperates on wave-energy desalination
Western Australia's Water Corporation has signed a cooperation agreement to support the wave-powered seawater desalination pilot project proposed by Carnegie Wave Energy Ltd.

Canada's Algonquin to buy controlling stake in Atlantica Yield
Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp of Canada is to acquire 25 per cent of Atlantica Yield, a business of long-term contracted assets owned by Abengoa.
MEDRC announces solar desalination course
The Middle East Desalination Research Center is to hold a course on Solar Desalination in October 2013 at its Muscat, Oman, training facility.
Renewable energy can bring desalination solution in MENA
The World Bank published a report in September 2012 on renewable energy in desalination in the Middle East and North Africa. The bank is currently working on organising a dissemination workshop, and D&WR will publish any further information on this on desalination.biz. What follows is an edited extract from the report's summary, which paints a picture of how renewable energy and desalination could be a match for the region. This article first appeared in the February/March 2013 issue of Desalination & Water Reuse magazine.

Q&A: Fisia's Silvio Oliva on why the Italian firm is expanding into Latin America
Fisia Italimpianti managing director Silvio Oliva says that the combination of demand for water treatment and desalination in Latin America makes the region a interesting prospect for investment.

Chilean solar desalination demo precurses pilot project
A demonstration solar-powered desalination plant was installed in mid‑March 2013 in Arica, Chile, by Fundación Chile, in advance of a pilot project for irrigation purposes.
Australian wave-energy desalination pilot to get funding
Australia's Carnegie Wave Energy announced on 28 February 2013 that it had received a government grant of Aus$ 1.27 million (US$ 1.30 million) to support a wave-powered seawater desalination demonstration project.
Arizona RO plant opens solar-energy system
A 459 kW photovoltaic (PV) solar power system has been completed at the Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Facility for the Town of Gila Bend, Arizona, by Solon Corporation, the company announced on 13 February 2013.

Highlights to watch at IDA World Congress 2017
Technical program chair Miguel Angel Sanz introduces his highlights from the line up at IDA World Congress 2017
Timeline established for IDA desalination energy guide
The International Desalination Association (IDA) has established a timeline for producing its guidelines for reducing energy consumption in desalination ending at its 2015 World Congress.

Eiffage and Tedagua clinch Djibouti desalination contract
French engineering firm Eiffage Genie Civil in consortium with Tedagua of Spain has won a contract to build a desalination plant in Djibouti, east Africa.
EU to support saline-aquifer desalination in Djibouti
A 22,500 m³/d brackish-water desalination plant, expandable to double that size and powered by renewable energy, is to be built in the East African state of Djibouti with support from the European Union (EU).
Australian SWRO firm signs MoU for Saudi pilot
Australian desalination start-up Water Resources Group (WRG) announced on 4 December 2012 that its subsidiary Water Resources International (WRI) had signed a memorandum of understanding with Knowledge Industry Company (KIC) of Saudi Arabia.
Seprotech to acquire Canadian consulting group
Canadian membrane water treatment and reuse provider Seprotech Systems Incorporated has reached agreement to acquire 100% of WESA Group Inc, a professional services company with eight North American offices and one in El Salvador.
HTI's Lambert gets IDE Americas command
Desalination contractor and system provider IDE Technologies Ltd announced on 12 September 2012 the appointment of Mark Lambert as chief executive officer of IDE Americas.
Solar still v RO comparison for S Australia desalination
A full solar distillation plant was compared with reverse osmosis (RO) for a small groundwater desalination project in South Australia and RO was chosen as the preferred option.
EDS publishes dates for 2013 courses
The European Desalination Society has published dates for two courses in the first half of 2013.
NCEDA's CEO attacks east-coast desalination critics
As Perth, on Australia's west coast, experiences its driest July on record, the CEO of the National Centre of Excellence in Desalination Australia (NCEDA), Neil Palmer, has taken on the media and politicians on the country's east coast over the recent spending on desalination.
Consultant launches water-energy advice service
Sacramento-based GEI Consultants Inc announced on16 July 2012 the launch of a national water-energy advisory service to complement its well-established water resources consulting services.
Arizona RO plant gets solar energy boost
The Arizona town of Gila Bend is to build a 460 kW photovoltaic solar‑energy system to power its 1 MGD (3,785 m³/d) reverse‑osmosis (RO) water treatment system.

Chile project envisions multiple mining clients for solar-powered SWRO
Energias y Aguas del Pacifico (ENAPAC), a proposed solar-powered seawater desalination plant and water transport project aims to support expansion of mining operations in Chile's Atacama region.
Santa Cruz desalination EIR delayed until fall
The environmental impact report (EIR) for the proposed 2.5 MGD (9,500 m³/d) desalination plant (scwd²) for Santa Cruz, California, will not now be published until fall 2012.
IDA launches Energy Task Force in Marseille
The International Desalination Association (IDA) has formed a global Energy Task Force whose goal is to achieve a 20% reduction in energy consumption in all major seawater desalination processes by 2015.

"We are selecting the best presentations from 323 abstracts"
Miguel Sanz, chair of the technical program for IDA World Congress 2017, introduces the main themes and highlights to look forward to at this year's event in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

New water company Almar Water Solutions launched by former Abengoa CEO
Almar Water Solutions, a new water infrastructure development company led by former Abengoa chief executive Carlos Cosin, was launched at World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, January 2017.
Almogordo trial for commercial-size solar desalination still
Indiana-based Suns River is nearing completion of a commercial-sized solar still at the Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility in Almogordo, New Mexico, USA, following the issue of a patent on its process (US #8,088,257) on 3 January 2012.
3rd Osmosis Membrane Summit set for Barcelona
Norwegian power company Statkraft, which is developing forward osmosis for energy, is organising the 3rd Osmosis Membrane Summit on 26-27 April 2012 alongside the European Desalination Society's conference and exhibition in Barcelona, Spain (23-26 April 2012).

Avantium acquires 'extensive patent portfolio' of Liquid Light
Chemical technology company Avantium has acquired the assets of Liquid Light, a developer of proprietary process technologies that make chemicals from carbon dioxide (CO2).

Online registration open for EDS solar desalination course
Online registration is now available for the European Desalination Society's course on Desalination with Solar Energy in Almeria, Spain, on 18-20 April 2012, which can be combined with the EDS conference in Barcelona on 23-26 April.
VSEP NF system used at Brazilian ethanol plant
A full-scale vibratory shear enhanced process (VSEP) membrane separation system has been commissioned successfully by New Logic Research at a Brazilian ethanol plant.
Australia and NZ ferry RO units to Tuvalu
Australia and New Zealand are leading an urgent response to the drought currently afflicting the South Pacific islands of Tuvalu and Tokelau by transporting reverse-osmosis (RO) units to provide a water supply.
Egyptian solar desalination
The Egyptian Gazette reported on 22 September 2011 that Egypt's scientists have developed a solar-power based technology to reduce the cost of water desalination from LE 10 (US$ 1.67) to LE 4 ($0 67) per cubic metre.

Solar panels commissioned at UK desalination plant
Thames Water in the UK at the end of July commissioned a 450 kW array of solar panels at its 150,000 m³/d Beckton brackish-water desalination plant as part of a bid to become Britain's biggest on-site solar power producer and industrial user.

IDA extends deadline for Congress submissions
The International Desalination Association (IDA) has extended the deadline for submitting abstracts for consideration in the technical programme for the 2017 IDA World Congress in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The new deadline is 11:59pm (EDT) next Tuesday, November 15, 2016.

Masdar desal pilot: the results so far
Masdar Clean Energy set a target for its pilot projects of one cubic metre of water for every 3.6 kilowatt hours of energy used. This is a particularly challenging target in the Persian Gulf, where salinity is very high, the water temperature is high, it's very shallow, and there's high organic matter.

Hydranautics to supply osmotic-power developer Statkraft
Desalination membrane manufacturer Nitto Denko/Hydranautics has signed an agreement with Norwegian osmotic-power developer Statkraft for the development and supply of membranes for osmotic power.
Samoa first to draw from Japanese solar/desalination fund
Samoa on 17 June 2011 became the first country to access a Japanese fund set up for solar power generation and seawater desalination or a combination of both.
RO, IX and ceramic membranes in Veolia oilfield reuse contract
A 45,000 bpd (7,154 m³/d) produced-water reclamation facility is to be installed at the Arroya Grande oilfield in California by Veolia Water through a design-build-operate contract.

Branson to address IDA Perth congress in September
Sir Richard Branson, famous for his achievements as an entrepreneur and founder of the international brand Virgin, is to be keynote speaker at the World Congress of the International Desalination Association in Perth.
More desalination and reuse potential in Western Australia
Western Australia's Water Corporation is considering up to three seawater reverse-osmosis desalination plants along the southern coast of its area, known as Lower Great Southern, as part of a potential portfolio of water resources for the next 30 years.
IDA releases more detail of Portofino conference
Abstracts of four "notable" papers for the the International Desalination Association's (IDA) Desalination Industry Action For Good conference in Portofino, Italy, in May were sent out by the association on 18 February 2011.
CDA/EDS seeking Qingdao desalination abstracts by 15 March
Abstracts for the 2011 Qingdao International Desalination Conference in China (20-23 June 2011) must received by 15 March 2011 with final papers by 10 May 2011.