We have previously written about the problem of water scarcity and some of the emerging solutions aimed at solving it. Today, we’d like to share with you yet another innovative technology that works to solve the global water crisis.
The novel technology, developed by London-based Solar Water PLC, will first be implemented in the northwest of Saudi Arabia after the company signed an agreement with the state’s government as part of its clean future $500 billion “NEOM project. According to CNN Arabia, the facility will be the “first desalination plant with solar dome technology.”
As explained by Solar Water CEO David Reavley, the plant is essential “a steel pot buried underground, covered with a dome,” making it look like a ball. The glass dome, which is a type of concentrated solar power (CSP) technology, is surrounded by “heliostat” reflectors that focus solar radiation towards inwards. Heat harnessed from the sun is transferred to seawater within the dome, which then evaporates and condenses to form freshwater.
According to the designers, the solar dome does not make use of polluting fibers typically used in reverse osmosis desalination technologies. In addition to being carbon neutral, Reavley claims that it is both affordable and fast to build the technology.
