Launch of pilot systems using electrodialysis to produce safe drinking water underway

The demand for cost-effective desalinated water is increasing with the growing population and the need for safe drinking water, driving continuous innovation in the sector. REvivED water, a pilot project led by FUJIFILM Manufacturing Europe B.V., is focusing on the potential of electrodialysis for desalination applications, both as stand-alone systems and in combination with established desalination technologies.

© REvivED water

Electrodialysis can be added as a pre-desalination step to existing Reverse Osmosis systems, increasing their water recovery; more drinking water will be produced from the same amount of seawater with lower energy consumption and at affordable costs. The REvivED water consortium has recently welcomed Trunz Water Systems AG, a Swiss water treatment company with distribution channels across Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Pacific. Trunz Water will build and operate a system in Spain that demonstrates the benefits of combining electrodialysis with Reverse Osmosis for seawater desalination. The test system is expected to be operational by the end of 2018.

The REvivED water project is also developing small-scale stand-alone systems for rural areas powered by solar energy. The main target is off-grid applications in developing countries, where brackish water can be converted into safe drinking water. The first such system is under construction and will be tested from May 2018 onwards in Somaliland, Africa, demonstrating the role of electrodialysis in the provision of quality drinking water for the world’s growing population.

For a summary of the REvivED water project please watch our video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYJMf_gj6b0&t=3s

You can follow the progress of the REvivED water project on its website (www.revivedwater.eu) and on the LinkedIn group ‘Electrodialysis Applications’ (www.linkedin.com/groups/8596116).


Notes for Editors

REvivED water (Low energy solutions for drinking water production by a REvival of ElectroDialysis systems) has received funding from the European Union's Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, Horizon 2020, under Grant Agreement no. 685579. FUJIFILM Manufacturing Europe B.V. is coordinating the project. AquaTT UETP CLG and the European Desalination Society (EDS) are the project dissemination partners.

The REvivED water consortium is industry driven and covers the whole knowledge spectrum required for the success of the REvivED water project with experts on electrodialysis (ED)/Reverse ED technology (Wetsus European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Deukum GmbH, REDstack BV, FUJIFILM Manufacturing Europe B.V. Università degli Studi di Palermo, Ghent University), desalination and purification technology (Trunz Water Systems AG), contaminant removal (Ghent University), off-grid applications in developing countries (Phaesun GmbH), Knowledge Transfer and dissemination (AquaTT UETP CLG) as well as the best institute for networking in the desalination field (EDS).

Image caption: REvivED water test site for a brackish water desalination system in Somaliland, Africa

For REvivED water project information and exploitation opportunities, please contact: Dr Natalie Tiggelman, Innovation manager ([e-mail]), www.fujifilmmembranes.com

For press queries or to receive regular project updates, please contact: Michael Papapetrou ([e-mail])

Keywords

desalination, electrodialysis, drinking water, water, low energy, drinking water production, reverse osmosis

Countries

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Finland, France, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia, United Kingdom