Nanostone and ACWA Power Form a Strategic Research Partnership to Develop the Next Generation of Seawater Pretreatment Systems

Waltham, MA, May 25, 2023 — We are pleased to announce our partnership with ACWA Power to develop the next generation of pretreatment technology for seawater desalination.
Nanostone has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ACWA Power, a leading developer, investor, and operator of power generation, water desalination, and green hydrogen plants worldwide, at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), the leading innovation hub in Saudi Arabia, to evaluate Nanostone’s ultrafiltration (UF) ceramic membranes and process technology in seawater desalination applications.
Christian Göbbert, Managing Director, Chief Scientific Officer, and Vice President of Research and Development at Nanostone, and Thomas Altmann, Executive Vice President of Innovation and New Technology at ACWA Power, signed the agreement during the European Desalination Society (EDS) conference in Cyprus.
This collaboration further solidifies Saudi Arabia as a global technology and innovation hub for sustainability. The partnership will pursue applied, industry-oriented research to develop a robust pre-treatment process for seawater desalination applications with superior protection and extended life for downstream reverse osmosis membranes.

“We are delighted to work with ACWA Power to advance the next generation of ceramic membrane and process technology. Through this collaboration, we expect to prove our industry-leading ceramic ultrafiltration technology as an ideal pretreatment solution for seawater desalination,” said John Ritter, President and Chief Operating Officer of Nanostone.
“As the world’s leading water desalination operator, ACWA Power is a catalyst for innovation in Saudi Arabia. Our contribution to the country goes beyond providing the greenest solutions and lowest costs for water desalination. We are also developing the world’s most advanced engineering and technological expertise by constantly pursuing new solutions to address global water needs. It is imperative that we bring the best of the local and global innovation ecosystem, including research institutions and business partners, to Saudi Arabia, enabling us to develop innovative solutions for our future facilities,” said Marco Arcelli, Chief Executive Officer of ACWA Power.
“Ceramic membrane is a robust pretreatment technology with the potential for reliable operations, ensuring enhanced and consistent seawater quality. It offers long-term benefits for desalination operations, including the potential to reduce energy consumption and the carbon footprint of desalination plants,” said Thomas Altmann, EVP Innovation and New Technology at ACWA Power.
Nanostone’s ceramic UF technology provides partners and end users with a robust solution against water quality variability, including harmful algal blooms, along with reliable delivery of high-quality pretreated water at a lower total cost of ownership. Both ACWA Power and Nanostone Water aim to capitalize on the results of this successful collaboration to jointly promote Nanostone’s technology for commercial use in world-scale desalination plants throughout the GCC region.
Resource: https://www.acwapower.com/news/acwa-power-and-nanostone-form-a-strategic-research-partnership-to-develop-the-next-generation-of-seawater-pretreatment-systems/