Myths and Misconceptions of Desalination

Moderator and Speaker: Mr. Devesh Sharma, IDRA First Vice President and Managing Director, Aquatech International

Bio: Devesh Sharma is the Managing Director of Aquatech – a global leader in water purification technology for industrial and infrastructure markets. Established in 1981, Aquatech helps some of the world’s most recognized companies solve their water scarcity challenges by providing solutions in desalination, wastewater reuse and zero liquid discharge.

Devesh has been with Aquatech since 1997 and he has worked in virtually every facet of the company from commissioning to process engineer, project manager and business development manager. From 2006 to 2013, he was responsible for Aquatech’s business activities in Asia. As Managing Director, Devesh has been focused on overall management of the company’s operations and implementing Aquatech’s vision to be the premier water solutions provider for industries worldwide.

Devesh holds a degree in Chemical Engineering and Industrial Management from Carnegie Mellon University, and an MBA from INSEAD. He is on the Board of Directors for the American Middle East Institute and was on the Board of Directors of the International Desalination and Reuse Association from 2013-2015.

Speaker: H.E. Eng. Abdullah Bin Ibrahim Al-Abdulkareem, Governor of Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC)

Welcome Remarks

Speaker: Dr. Gisela Noelle Kaiser, Water Globe Consultants

Topic: Concentrate Management – Challenges & Solutions

Bio: Gisela Noelle Kaiser is a registered professional civil engineer with nearly 30 years of experience in the development and management of diverse infrastructure projects and programs in South Africa. She has excelled in transformational development within various sectors including local government, industrial development, higher education and retail.

As the City of Cape Town’s Executive Director of Utilities, she balanced the demands of providing basic services (encompassing water, sanitation, electricity, and solid waste management) to a deeply stratified population competing for scarce resources. She served as the technical lead of the team that successfully steered the City through the 2016-18 water crisis, earning the City international acclaim for being the World’s Number One Water Saving City.

She joined Water Globe Consultants in June 2019 as the Director of Sustainable Water Management. She focused her work on desalination as an integral part of holistic sustainable water management, specially in lower income countries.

Speaker: Dr. Gonzalo Delacamara, IMDEA

Topic: The Benefits of Desalination in Terms of Long-Term Water Security and Climate Change Adaptation

Bio: Dr. Gonzalo Delacamara  is a Global Water Economist, European Union and European Parliament Special Advisor and Water Policy Advisor to FAO, UNDP, UN-Water, World Bank Group Spanish economist working globally (80+ countries: EU, LAC, MENA, Central & South Asia) specialized in the economic management of natural resources: water, climate change, energy, atmospheric pollution, biological diversity and ecosystem services, etc., with emphasis on their complex linkages to economic and social development. Dr. Delacamara works for multilateral organizations such as the European Commission, of which he is a ‘water policy advisor’ (through its DG Environment, Clean Water Unit), the European Parliament (which he also advises on climate change policy), a number of UN agencies and programs (UN Water, UNESCO, FAO, WHO-PAHO, UNDP, etc.), the World Bank Group (including its 2030 Water Resources Group initiative but also the World Bank itself or the International Finance Corporation, IFC) or the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

Speaker: Eng. Youngwook Yoo, DTRI

Topic: Carbon Footprint of Desalination Plants

Bio: Engineer Youngwook Yoo currently works for SWCC-DTRI as a thermal desalination expert. Eng. Yoo manages several projects to improve SWCC’s existing thermal desalination plants.

Prior to joining SWCC-DTRI, Eng. Yoo worked for Doosan for 15 years. During his service with Doosan, he participated in numerous projects as a process engineer for thermal desalination processes and also participated in the SWRO project as a construction manager.

Most of the time, he was involved in thermal desalination process design and also in techno-economic evaluation of energy desalination plant configuration for contract projects.

Now Eng. Yoo is interested in renewable freshwater sources and water management for better and efficient water use.

Speaker: Eng. Leon Awerbuch, IDCA

Topic: Green Energy Solutions for Desalination

Bio: President & CEO International Desalination Consulting Associates LLC (IDCA), Leon Awerbuch has been involved in the desalination industry for more than 40 years. He joined Bechtel Group in 1972 in R&D followed by increased responsibilities for power and water programs as International Bechtel Co. Ltd Vice President and Senior Regional Representative for the Middle East. During his 35 year career with Bechtel, he was in charge of desalination programs involved in R&D, design and engineering as well as EPC of desalination and power projects.

Mr. Awerbuch served as IDRA President from 1989-1991. Chairman of six IDRA World Congresses, he currently serves as a Member of the IDRA Honorary Council and Co-Chair of Energy and Environment Committee. He was a Chairman of IDRA’s Technical Programs for 26 years. As such, he has organized and chaired over 40 conferences, forums, seminars and workshops around the world. He served as first Dean of IDRA Desalination Academy for 7 years.

Speaker: Dr. Byungsung Park, DTRI

Topic: Path Towards Chemical Free Desalination

Bio: Dr. Byungsung Park is working at Water Technologies Research Institute as senior desalination expert of pretreatment systems in SWRO desalination plant.

He worked at DOOSAN Water Research & Development Center, Al Khobar as Director General for 3 years and worked in DOOSAN Heavy Industries and Construction, Korea as senior researcher for 11 years.

He specialized in the designs of Dissolved Air Flotation and Dual Media Filter. He designed DAF system with 50m/h of hydraulic loading rate on Doha East SWRO plant (Kuwait).

He is focusing on the operation and maintenance improvements of SWRO plants to increase water production and cost savings.