Energy and services firm ENGIE has unveiled what it is calling a ‘Desalination Center of Excellence’, which ‘addresses the critical need for sustainable water solutions in a rapidly changing world’.
The centre was launched at COP28, at the event’s Food, Agriculture, and Water-themed day, and forms part of ENGIE’s commitment to achieve net zero by 2045, it said in a statement.
Through the centre, ENGIE will seek to build know-how and experience to drive strategic and operational decisions on the topic of desalination, with the business already producing 5,800,000 m³/d of desalinated water daily.
‘Address water scarcity’
“With more than 30 years of experience, ENGIE stands as a leader in desalination and potable water solutions. We are proud to launch our Desalination Center of Excellence, a hub dedicated to address and promote solutions for water scarcity and a carbon neutral world,” commented Latifa Lahsine, head of the Desalination Center of Excellence at ENGIE.
“By adopting a collaborative approach with our key stakeholders, the Center serves to foster a resilient approach for shared water challenges. We envision a future in which all communities and industries in the region thrive on sustainable, clean, and safe water resources.”
Monitoring and research
Initially, the centre will concentrate on addressing the needs and challenges of the desalination market through technical monitoring, research, and innovation programmes, with a specific emphasis on enhancing reverse osmosis (RO) membrane-based technology,” ENGIE said.
Additionally, it will prioritise the promotion of energy efficiency, exploration of alternative applications for brine water treatment, and the examination of the environmental impacts associated with desalination.
ENGIE already boasts a network of 19 desalination assets in the GCC region – encompassing Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman – and the business said that the establishment of a Desalination Center of Excellence underpins its commitment to the region, and to the energy transition.
ENGIE reported a turnover of €93.9 billion in 2022, and currently employs 96,000 personnel around the globe.
