Published on IDRA Global Connections Fall 2020 Issue
October 19, 2020 – Today, Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) as a representative of the Ministry of the Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America’s Department of Energy (DOE) from the Ministry of Energy, have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for long term cooperation in the field of desalination science and technology.
This MOU aims to strengthen and enhance cooperation between Saudi Arabia and USA with regard to the development of desalination industry, capacity-building, and exchange of scientific and technical expertise in desalination science and technology, as well as to establish a long-term cooperative relationship based on parity and mutual benefit. The five-year agreement was signed virtually by H.E. Eng. Abdullah Ibrahim Al-Abdulkareem – Governor of the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) and the Honorable Daniel R. Simmons, Assistant Secretary of Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy.
The two counties have a long history of collaboration in the energy and water sectors and this agreement further solidifies the strong relationship and commitment to the advancement of mutual water security goals for sustainable economic growth. The agreement includes sharing of knowledge and information, cross-training, as well as collaboration on joint research and development projects for advanced technologies in the field of desalination, harvesting of valuable minerals from seawater brine and zero liquid discharge.
Research activities for Saudi Arabia under this MOU will be led by the SWCC’s Desalination Technology Research Institute (DTRI) which is the country’s premier research center for applied desalination science and technology. “The DTRI and DOE’s National Research Laboratories that are focused on advanced water research, are looking forward to combine their innovative ideas and practical experience with a common goal – advancing desalination technology and science towards a better and greener world where desalinated water is widely affordable and desalination brine is no longer considered a waste but a valuable strategic product of high economic significance” – said HE, Eng. Abdullah Ibrahim Al-Abdulkareem – Governor of SWCC.
The Director General for the DTRI, Dr. Ahmed Al Amoudi, leading the KSA research cooperation activities, stated: “The scope of future cooperation between the Desalination Technologies Research Institute and the National Research Laboratories of the U.S. Department of Energy is in a close alignment of both the Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the USA administration’s “Coordinated Strategic Plan to Advance Desalination for Enhanced Water Security of March 2019, which has three key goals: 1) reduce risk and streamline local planning to support desalination; 2) reduce technical and economic barriers to enable desalination technology usage; and 3) encourage national and international cooperation to innovate and develop desalination technologies.”
- DOE is well-known for spearheading innovation in the desalination field and currently is leading a long term program – the Energy- Water Desalination Hub – that addresses water security issues in the United States. The Hub focuses on early-stage research and development for energy-efficient and cost competitive desalination technologies including manufacturing challenges.
DTRI is the largest applied desalination research center in Saudi Arabia that is dedicated to advancement of technologies for reliable and environmentally sound desalination, for harvesting of valuable minerals and metals from seawater brine, and for zero liquid discharge.
For Contact and additional information:
Dr. Ahmed Al Amoudi, Director General of DTRI, cell: +966 55 459 6658; e-mail: AAl-amoudi@swcc.gov.sa