The Canary Islands Institute of Technology (ITC) showcased at the Singapore International Water Week (SIWW 2026) the capabilities it has developed in brine valorization through the DESAL+ Living Lab.
The open testbed established at its facilities enables the validation of innovative technologies that promote a more efficient and circular desalinated water industry.
The SIWW 2026 Water Convention was held in Singapore from 15 to 18 June 2026. Represented by water technologies specialist Ángel Rivero, ITC presented innovations aimed at transforming desalination plant brine effluent into a potential source of salts, minerals, and other valuable resources through efficient technologies validated under real-world conditions in the DESAL+ Living Lab’s open testbed located in Pozo Izquierdo, Gran Canaria.
The presentation by ITC’s industrial water expert, entitled “Turning Brine into Value: An Open Testbed for Innovation and Barrier Removal,” formed part of the technical sessions dedicated to water treatment, specifically within the panel on brine valorization. The session explored different alternatives for improving desalination efficiency and increasing the recovery of water and valuable industrial compounds from the saline by-products generated during the desalination process.
During his presentation, Ángel Rivero highlighted the work carried out by ITC within the framework of the DESAL+ Living Lab, a public-private applied research ecosystem that brings together specialized expertise, researchers, technical experts, scientific facilities, and companies linked to the water sector in the Canary Islands. Its activities also extend to other territories in Macaronesia and West Africa. The platform enables the development, validation, and demonstration of desalination and water-energy nexus solutions under real operating conditions, fostering collaboration among research centers, universities, public authorities, water utility operators, and technology companies. This ecosystem is also included in the European Atlas of Water-Oriented Living Labs and Testbeds under the Water4All initiative, strengthening its connection to the international water research and innovation ecosystem.
Collaborative Innovation in the Industrial Water Cycle
The brine valorization testbed, one of the infrastructures within the DESAL+ Living Lab, enables work with real effluents, analysis of different treatment stages, and validation of emerging technologies in an operational environment before industrial deployment. The platform includes pilot facilities for the treatment, separation, and concentration of saline effluents, as well as laboratories and demonstration areas where new equipment and solutions developed by companies or research groups can be integrated.
One of the testbed’s key strengths is its role as a public-private collaboration platform where research centers, technology companies, and industrial partners can test, optimize, and validate innovative solutions under real conditions. The infrastructure is also designed to help overcome the technical and operational barriers faced by emerging technologies, facilitating progress along the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale and supporting their progression from development and validation stages to near-market solutions.
Circular Economy: New Resources from Saline Discharges
Tests conducted at the brine valorization testbed—an infrastructure supported by the Gran Canaria Island Council through SPEGC—have demonstrated the capability of nanofiltration to separate different types of salts and concentrate high-value compounds such as magnesium. These concentration technologies are combined with energy recovery devices, monitoring tools, and online analyzers that provide real-time information on stream composition and optimize pilot plant performance.
Current research lines include the study of new purification, precipitation, and selective crystallization stages aimed at obtaining salts and minerals with higher purity levels. Electrochemical treatments, carbon dioxide capture processes, and alternatives for producing valuable chemical compounds from seawater and brines are also being explored.
SIWW 2026: An International Meeting Point for Water Innovation
The SIWW 2026 summit, co-organized by PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency, and the International Water Association (IWA), brought together representatives from public administrations, water utilities, companies, research centers, and universities from around the world to exchange knowledge, showcase technologies, and promote partnerships capable of addressing challenges such as water scarcity, water treatment and reuse, climate adaptation, coastal protection, and the circular economy.
The international forum enabled ITC to establish contacts with leading institutions and explore synergies and potential collaboration opportunities in desalination. In this context, Ángel Rivero met with Ong Key Wee, PUB’s specialist responsible for drinking water treatment, as well as other members of his team involved in water treatment innovation and desalination projects. PUB representatives showed particular interest in the achievements of the DESALRO 2.0 project in the Canary Islands, recognized as the seawater desalination plant with the lowest recorded energy consumption. Both organizations exchanged experiences on integrating renewable energy into desalination processes and shared knowledge on technologies for valorizing generated brines.
The Canary Islands on the Global Desalination Map
The initiative presented by ITC in Singapore forms part of the IDIWATER project (https://www.desalinationlab.com/idiwater), led by the institute itself and co-financed by the Interreg MAC 2021–2027 Programme, whose activities are directly linked to the DESAL+ Living Lab. The project aims to strengthen applied research, innovation, and public-private knowledge transfer within the industrial water sector. As a flagship initiative, the project promotes an acceleration program for companies and innovative teams, offering expert support, access to real validation environments, and direct connections with operators and potential technology users.
ITC’s participation in SIWW 2026 provides an opportunity to share these advances with the international water community and showcase the scientific and technological capabilities developed in the Canary Islands. At the same time, it reinforces the role of the archipelago as a living laboratory for demonstrating solutions that contribute to more energy-efficient desalinated water production, reducing the environmental impact of desalination facilities, and transforming their effluents into valuable resources.
English