Sustainability First: Can Low-Carbon Desalination Solve Water Crises?

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NORWARY – Reverse osmosis is the primary method of desalting water, which pushes water under high pressure through fine membranes that separate the salt. 

It’s a method that uses high amounts of energy, the major cost.

Norwegia’s Waterise’s off-shore subsea desalination plant sits 400 meters below sea level and uses the hydrostatic pressure of the water above it.

CEO Niels Petter Wright says it’s a serious energy saver.

Waterise says their technology reduces the need for coastal land by up to 90 percent, while reducing energy consumption by up to 40 percent, resulting in lower CO2 emissions. 

And of course, that’s great for the environment as escalating pollution, record-setting droughts, and shrinking groundwater aquifers; these are just some drivers of the precarious state of the global water crisis.

As the situation worsens, more people, ecosystems and economies will pay the price. Recently released data from the World Resources Institute estimates one-third of global gross domestic product will likely be exposed to high water stress by 2050.

Petter Wright believes Waterise’s technology could be part of the solution, highlighting subsea water as naturally suited to industry.

The company says they are now developing partnerships around the world with organizations looking to use their technology.