King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and ACWA Power Company have signed an agreement to establish a joint "Clean Energy and Water Desalination Technologies Development Center", according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The agreement was signed by KACST Vice President for the Energy and Industry Sector Dr. Saeed Al-Shehri and by Thomas Altmann, Executive Vice President of Innovation and New Technology Sector at ACWA Power.
KACST President Dr. Munir bin Mahmoud Al-Desouki, ACWA Power Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors Mohammad Abunayyan, and Senior Vice President for the Research and Development Sector of KACST Dr. Talal Al-Sudairi, attended the ceremony.
The new center will engage in research studies and pursue technical developments in the clean energy and water sectors. These include research on solar energy technologies, energy storage technologies, as well as the development of innovative materials and technologies for desalination membranes, aimed at reducing the costs and emissions associated with desalination facilities.
Artificial intelligence and other advanced digital technologies will be used to support the research and achieve the objectives of the center.
Dr. Saeed Al-Shehri said that the center is part of KACST's efforts to link technical products to the needs of public and private sector entities, and to achieve national aspirations in the field of research, development and innovation. The technologies developed for water desalination and clean energy production will help the Kingdom reach an optimal energy mix.
With the creation of the joint center, ACWA Power enhances its participation in national laboratories and innovation hubs, supporting an environment of collaboration and innovation that includes academia and the business sector. Furthermore, it will help to disseminate water desalination technology across industrial sectors.
Thomas Altmann said: "We are thrilled to embark on an exciting journey with an esteemed organization such as KACST, as collaboration is key to our approach to research and development. The partnership aims to develop practical, market-ready solutions to address commercial needs with agility and innovation. It also seeks to contribute to the local research and innovation ecosystem, in line with the objectives of Vision 2030”. And he added: ”Utilizing both organizations' collective expertise and resources, the collaboration will focus on optimizing joint programs by developing services, pilot plants, laboratories, and cutting-edge simulation and monitoring tools."
