His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and President of the University of Sharjah attended a presentation showcasing a project for the design and building of an experimental hybrid solar-powered desalination plant. The project, developed in collaboration with the Sharjah Electricity, Water, and Gas Authority (SEWA), aims to desalinate groundwater, seawater, and highly saline water.

This initiative is part of the University of Sharjah’s broader commitment to pioneering sustainable and innovative solutions to societal challenges. By leveraging Sharjah’s Water Atlas, which maps the emirate’s water resources, the project seeks to provide cutting-edge desalination solutions in collaboration with key service and governmental institutions.

His Highness was briefed on the details of the project, which holds significant scientific potential to addressing water desalination challenges—one of the world’s most pressing environmental priorities. The initiative is expected to advance scientific research, support industrial growth within the UAE, and benefit local communities by increasing freshwater supplies while mitigating water scarcity issues. During the presentation, His Highness learned about the project’s advanced technology, which represents a new and innovative approach to solar-powered water desalination at the pilot-plant level. The project also involves the development of locally developed desalination technologies that would have a direct impact on the community. Additionally, researchers will conduct a comprehensive assessment of water quality using the Sharjah Sat-2 satellite and collect water samples for further analysis. A key component of the initiative is the Sharjah Water Atlas, which provides desalination experts with detailed information on water quality, type, and levels across the emirate, facilitating the design of optimal desalination systems.

The project’s innovative aspects focus on several core developments, including the integration of the Water Atlas, the design and manufacture of novel reverse osmosis (RO) membranes that achieve higher water recovery rates with minimal brine discharge, and the creation of a solar-powered RO desalination plant with reduced energy consumption and increased water production efficiency. The overarching objective is to deliver sustainable and cost-effective desalination solutions by minimizing financial costs and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. By harnessing renewable solar energy, the project aims to revolutionize water desalination while addressing the significant environmental challenge posed by brine waste from conventional desalination processes. Ultimately, these advancements will ensure the sustainability of desalination operations while mitigating harmful impacts on marine and coastal ecosystems.