Finalist Award: £49,956
Winner Award: £449,831
Led by: Waterwhelm, partnered with AtkinsRealis
A new technology for desalination and water re-use that operates at low pressure, resulting in lower capital and maintenance costs. Powered by waste heat, this circular solution achieves the lowest-ever rate of electricity consumption and CO2 emissions. Waterwhelm has developed a game-changing forward osmosis (FO) technology for desalination of brackish and sea water to potable water, as an alternative to reverse osmosis (RO). The technology is powered by waste heat, therefore in comparison with RO uses 80% less electricity, 35% less CAPEX with a 79% reduction in CO2 emissions. Through this project, Waterwhelm will design a prototype for utilising low-grade waste heat sources at wastewater treatment works and assess its applicability/viability by engaging with the water sector. This will subsequently lead to a new desalination method enhancing circular economy approaches and reducing emissions/costs in the water sector.
Waterwhelm was announced as one of 10 winners in the Water Discovery Challenge on 20 February 2024 – read more in the announcement blog.
Waterwhelm is currently running a pilot plant for water re-use at a Northumbrian Water wastewater treatment site. This pilot plant is aimed at using low grade waste heat typically available in large quantities at wastewater treatment plants with anaerobic digestion. Research has shown that around 55% of operational expenditure for reverse osmosis is due to electrical consumption (Danfoss, 2024). Waterwhelm’s solution reduces the electrical consumption for water re-use by up to 80%. Such significant reduction will positively impact not just sustainability goals, but also costs for industrial end-users. Upon successful completion of the pilot project at this major Northumbrian Water site, Waterwhelm will deploy the technology on industrial scale across many wastewater treatment and industrial sites to address these challenges.
