The innovative DESALRO 2.0® desalination plant, launched by the Canary Islands Institute of Technology (ITC), has been selected as a ‘Qualifying Team’ in the XPRIZE Water Scarcity, a $119 million, multi-year global challenge aimed at driving access to clean water worldwide by creating reliable, affordable, and sustainable seawater desalination systems.
The cutting-edge DESALRO 2.0® desalination system is built on an optimized seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) design that takes sustainability a decisive step forward. It achieves a specific energy consumption of less than 2.0 kWh/m3, representing up to 25% savings compared with conventional plants. Designed to demonstrate its optimal performance under real operating conditions, DESALRO 2.0® offers strong potential for replication at larger scales.
What distinguishes this solution is not only its exceptional energy efficiency but also its modular, compact configuration, which greatly simplifies installation and enhances mobility. The system incorporates state-of-the-art components, including positive displacement high-pressure pumps (HPP), high-efficiency energy recovery devices (ERD), and a hybrid arrangement of reverse osmosis membranes within the pressure vessels. These are combined with an optimised hydraulic layout that minimises pressure losses, maximising overall reliability and performance.
DESALRO 2.0® has been selected as a ‘Qualified Team’ in Track A of the competition (Desalination System-Level Innovation) in recognition on its potential to deliver at least 1 m³ per day of drinkable water by the end of 2025.
The project is led by the Canary Islands Institute of Technology (ITC) through the DESAL+ LIVING LAB, an innovative testbed dedicated to the research, development, testing and validation of advanced desalination solutions. This unique platform places a strong emphasis on the water–energy nexus and the integration of renewable energy into desalination processes.
Located in the Canary Islands (Spain), the DESAL+ LIVING LAB provides access to state-of-the-art infrastructure and test-bed sites in real operating conditions. It offers an open environment for collaboration, fostering win-win partnerships in water technology development.
Read more about the XPRIZE Water Scarcity competition here.
IDIWATER Project
Participation in this competition falls within the framework of the IDIWATER project co-funded at 85% by the Interreg MAC 2021–2027 Programme, seeks to reinforce collaboration between public research centres, universities, leading water management companies, and public agencies responsible for innovation and economic development.
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