While the largest resource to avail is saline water, desalination faces two main challenges to its sustainability: the energy consumption required for the process and the waste residual brine, that can have a serious environmental impacts.
Whereas the combination of Solar PV with Reverse Osmosis or Solar Thermal heat with Distillation processes has been developed along the recent decades into commercially available solar desalination solutions, the innovative integration of brine valorization and zero liquid discharge (ZLD) concepts aims at developing strategies to close the material loop, minimizing the liquid waste. The integration of these technologies results in a ZLD solar-powered desalination system – a circular economy scheme with the production of fresh water and recovery of valuable resources from the waste of the process.
Gathering the experience of three non-Widening (TOP) partners presenting some of the most outstanding background and Research Infrastructure (RI), at European level, in the development of Solar-driven water production and wastewater treatment technologies (WP&WT), Sol2H2O aims at supporting the Coordinator (WIDENING) partner in the development of establishment of high-level research in this field. Based on the outstanding WIDENING RI and background in Solar Energy technologies and on its preliminary experiences in the Water-Energy nexus field, Sol2H2O seeks the development and implementation of a common scientific strategy, with a strong focus on an enhanced capacity building of researchers, going beyond purely scientific capacities and strengthening their research management and administration skills.
By means of a common research strategy aiming at further developing Solar-driven Water-Energy Nexus solutions, Sol2H20 aims at creating a reference European facility for the development and testing of Circular Solar-driven Water Production & Treatment technologies, enabling the development of renewable gas or agriculture activities.
Engaging three top-class leading partners around a scientific strategy for stepping up and stimulating scientific excellence and innovation capacity on Solar-driven Water-Energy Nexus solutions, Sol2H20 aims at enhanced networking with the Coordinator Widening partner, raising its research profile through the exploitation of their staff and infrastructural synergies in the establishment of a reference European facility for the development and testing of Circular Solar-driven Water Production & Treatment technologies.
Grounded on the development of a Joint Research activity (JRA) aiming at a Widening Research Infrastructure (RI) upgrade towards top-level collaborative research over a distributed and interlinked Research Facility, this Sol2H20 Twinning cooperation will promote an enhanced research, technical and administrative profile of the Widening partner after achievement of – measurable and verifiable – objectives/impacts.
Objectives
Objectives
Objectives
Objectives
Objectives
Established in the XVI century, the University of Évora is the cornerstone High Education Institution in the region of Alentejo. Taking the responsibility over WP1 Coordination, as means of assuring the uplift of its WIDENING profile at research and technical-administrative level by means of engaging its research, Administrative, Innovation and Communication coordinated competencies and structure in both project management and coordination (WP1) and Dissemination, Exploitation and Communication activities (WP5);
CIEMAT is a Public Research Institution owned by the Spanish Ministry of Science, and Innovation. Since its founding in 1951, it has developed and led R+D projects in the fields of Energy, Environment and Technology, placing the institution at the forefront of science and technology. Taking responsibility over WP2 Excellence R&D, thus bringing the complementary background on their ongoing development of the these topics envisaged as one important pathway for the WIDENING-RI upgrade.
ITC is the technology public body that advises the Regional Government of the Canary Islands. It was created in August 1992. The Institute carries out projects and services in the areas of Research, Development and Innovation, in close collaboration with universities, R&D institutions and companies of the Canary Islands and abroad. Taking responsibility over WP3 Career Building, thus bringing the capacity building background and experience to the coordination of training, tutoring and mentoring activities grounded on its outstanding RI and R&D experience in Sol2H2O scientific field.
The Group participated in the past to 9 EU-funded projects on solar-powered desalination and salinity gradient power technologies, novel hybrid technologies for water desalination and energy storage, and valorisation of industrial brines via membrane processes separations and chemical reactions and presently works in 3 on-going EU-H2020 projects in this topic. Taking responsibility over WP5 Relevant Impact, thus bringing the complementary background on their ongoing development of its long-standing mission and experience of engagement with Policy, Scientific and Industrial actors, at both national and European levels.