In a move to push the boundaries of clean energy and eco-friendly water desalination, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) has joined forces with ACWA Power Company to create a center dedicated to the advancement of sustainable energy and water desalination technologies.
The new “Clean Energy and Water Desalination Technologies Development Center,” a product of a pact signed by KACST Vice President Dr. Saeed Al-Shehri and ACWA Power’s Thomas Altmann, is set to become a nexus for scientific inquiry and technological progress. The focus areas for the center include solar energy, energy storage solutions, and the development of pioneering materials for desalination membranes.
This initiative is designed to tackle the twin challenges of cost and environmental impact associated with desalination by leveraging artificial intelligence and sophisticated digital tools. The collaboration will also broaden ACWA Power’s involvement with national laboratories, creating a fertile environment for cooperative innovation and the dissemination of advanced desalination technology across diverse industries.
Dr. Saeed underscored the significance of the center in tailoring technical advancements to meet the demands of both public and private sectors, thereby supporting the nation’s objectives in research, development, and innovation.
Expressing enthusiasm for the partnership, Thomas Altmann highlighted the project’s ambition to deliver solutions that are ready for the marketplace, meet commercial needs with speed and creativity, and reinforce the local research and innovation milieu in accordance with the Vision 2030 blueprint.