Baltasar Peñate, Head of the Water Department at the Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias (ITC), is featured in a prominent interview in the latest issue of RETEMA – Revista Técnica de Medio Ambiente.
In the interview, Peñate discusses the development and international relevance of DESALRO 2.0®, the ITC’s flagship desalination project, recently recognized with an Honorable Mention for Innovation at the AEDyR Awards 2025. The system, designed and tested at ITC’s Pozo Izquierdo facilities, has achieved a breakthrough in energy efficiency, reaching consumption levels below 1.86 kWh/m³, positioning it as one of the most efficient desalination systems in the world.
The interview also highlights the role of the DESAL+ Living Lab platform, a public-private innovation ecosystem led by ITC, as a unique platform for piloting advanced desalination solutions under real operating conditions. Peñate emphasizes the importance of integrating renewable energy, optimizing energy recovery, and designing systems that are both scalable and adaptable to island and arid environments.
These challenges are being addressed through the IDIWATER project, among others, co-financed at 85% by ERDF funds under the Interreg MAC 2021–2027 Program. This cooperation initiative brings together public institutions, R&D&I centers, and universities from the Canary Islands and Africa, along with leading companies in integrated water cycle management, with the common goal of providing solutions through applied research.
Looking ahead, Peñate reveals the project’s next objectives, including the ongoing process to certify DESALRO 2.0® for a Guinness World Record as the world’s most energy-efficient desalination plant.
This exclusive feature in RETEMA (No. 263, May–June 2025, pp. 108–115) underscores ITC’s leadership in water innovation and its growing international impact, exporting sustainable technologies and expertise developed in the Canary Islands to water-scarce regions around the globe.
Interview available online on: https://issuu.com/r.retema/docs/retema_263_mayo_junio_2025/110
English