March 22, 2022 – Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Today, on this 29th U.N. World Water Day, the International Desalination and Reuse Association (IDRA), in partnership with the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) and the Desalination Technologies Research Institute (DTRI), inaugurated the First International Specialty Conference on Ocean Brine Mining in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. The conference kicked off with a technical workshop on “Ocean Brine Mining for Sodium Chloride and Bromine” yesterday at the DTRI, focusing on advanced technology to extract high purity sodium chloride and bromine from ocean brine.
Held under the patronage of H.E. Eng. Abdulrahman Abdulmohsen A. AlFadley, Minister of the Environment, Water and Agriculture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, this conference has been organized by the International Desalination and Reuse Association (IDRA) and the Desalination Technologies Research Institute (DTRI) of the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) with the leadership of H.E. Eng. Abdullah Ibrahim Al-Abdulkareim, Governor, Saline Water Conversion Corporation.
Brine from desalination plants contains valuable minerals. Desalination brine mining can surpass earth mining as a source of rare-earth metals such as lithium, strontium, cesium, rubidium, barium, and others, and brings a new era of exploration of the vast water resources of the planet. This conference has opened a venue for presenting and discussing the latest advanced technologies for extracting minerals such as sodium chloride, magnesium, and others from desalination brine.
More than 120 researchers, scientists, and experts, from international companies, are taking part in this international specialty conference to discuss technologies and systems that are advanced to the point of proof of concept and will yield minerals and rare metals at a cost lower than earth mining and conventional production methods. Case studies for demonstration or full-scale implementation of brine concentration and mineral extraction technologies will also be presented.
“Over decades, desalination technology evolution has broken barriers in flux, energy consumption, and scale. Precious metal and mineral recovery from desalination brine discharge is a key innovation topic. The partnership with SWCC and DTRI is part of our mission to expand IDRA activities with public sector stakeholders to support technical evolution for a better world. IDRA applauds the Saline Water Conversion Corporation for taking a lead role on Ocean Brine Mining, an important research advancement,” said Ms. Shannon McCarthy, IDRA Secretary General.
“Advancements in technology make it increasingly viable to recover water and extract minerals from brine, essentially turning waste into a valuable resource, a great exhibition of sustainability. We are grateful to SWCC and DTRI for their vision and commitment to being industry pacesetters for this important topic,” Devesh Sharma, 1st Vice President IDRA, Managing Director of Aquatech International.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is blessed with many rich assets. Geographic, Cultural, Social, Demographic, and Economic advantages enabled the Kingdom to take a leading position globally. IDRA recognizes the Kingdom’s leadership position in large-scale desalination and its drive to diversify the economy and unlock the potential of the non-oil sector as per Vision 2030. The Ocean Brine Mining Forum introduces leading-edge technologies that cost-effectively convert brine into mineral products and extract rare metals of strategic importance for advanced industries” Imad Makhzoumi, IDRA Board Member, CEO of Enoia
The program includes a half-day off-site visit to an advanced brine concentration demonstration facility in Jubail and one of the largest desalination plants in the world – the 1 million m3/day Ras Al Khair desalination facility.
The desalination brine mining conversation will continue at the IDRA 2022 World Congress: Charting Resilient Water Solutions, Sydney, 9-13, October.