Wednesday 20 June 2018

US invests $21m in innovative solar desalination technologies

The US Government has announced a $21 million (£16m) investment to advance solar desalination technologies.

The funding from the Department of Energy (DOE) for 14 projects will focus on reducing solar-thermal desalination costs, collection and storage of thermal heat and help to expand operations to remote areas.

Desalination requires a grid-connection to generate freshwater, limiting it to areas with electricity access. Solar-thermal power can help expand access via portable systems to areas without a grid connection.

The Solar Desalination funding programme will focus on four areas: innovations in thermal desalination, low-cost solar thermal heat, integrated solar desalination systems and analysis for solar thermal desalination.

The projects will last up to three years and represent a public-private investment of $30 million (£22.7m).