Canary Islands Institute of Technology (ITC)

ITC is a Technology public body of the Regional Government of the Canary Islands from 1992. The Institute carries out projects and services in the areas of Research, Development and Innovation, in close collaboration with universities, R&D institutions and companies of the Canary Islands and abroad. The main goals are to promote and support the technological development and to encourage and drive forward RTD, in order to foster productive development, as well as business innovation.

The R&D Division is headquartered in the southeast of Gran Canaria Island (Pozo Izquierdo), wherein the sea proximity, and the solar and wind conditions have boosted the implementation of facilities for a wide set of testing activities: off-grid renewable energy (RE) powered desalination systems, RE powered hydrogen production units, workshop-domes for prototypes, outdoor testing platforms (wind, PV, solar thermal), micro-grids lab, climatological stations, service areas, among other elements.

With more than 25 years, the Water Department has implemented significant work on energy efficiency desalination and renewable energy – small desalination units coupling, to prove their technical matching, improve and optimize their operation and reliability, and to promote the technology in remote and off-grid areas. As a result, up to five small RO desalination systems coupled with Renewable Energy systems have been in operation in Morocco and Tunisia.

ITC accumulates a high experience in the development of solutions for the ENERGY and WATER supply to urban, peri-urban/rural/remote areas and for industrial purposes. ITC has participated in several EU projects such as PRODES, SODAMEE, DESSOL, SDAWES, ADIRA, ISLHáGUA, DESAL+, etc. related to these topics.

Contact

Phone: +34 928 72 75 11 / 86
Email: desal+@desalinationlab.com
Website: www.itccanarias.org

Baltasar Peñate Suárez

Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering: Head of Water Department - Manager and Coordinator of regional and European projects on desalination driven by renewable energies, non-conventional wastewater treatment, water quality water management and sustainability (Programs: MEDA, INTERREG, EU-FPs, INCOMED, DGTREN, Spanish Cooperation in Africa). Co-author of DESSOL patent and CONTEDES utility model. Other skills: Technical analysis, calculation, modeling, simulation, design and commissioning of RO plants. Proficient and hardened experience in projects management, leadership capacity, good ability and experience in technical and social relations, team spirit, fond of traveling, positive by challenges. 25 publications and books.

PhD. Section Head of the Department of Water.

Juana R. Betancort Rodriguez

PhD in Analytical Chemistry. Management and direct participation in projects related to desalination, wastewater treatment, water quality, environmental impacts, etc. Head of the laboratory for the physico-chemical and microbiological analysis of waters. Extensive experience in the use of high performance analytical equipment (HPLC, spectrofluorimetry, ion chromatography, etc.) with a wide-ranging knowledge of techniques related to the analysis of seawater and desalinated water quality, the identification of micro-organisms in water (bacteria and fungi) and experience in field work for the analysis of desalinated water. Lecturer in water quality courses. More than 20 publications

BA in Marine Sciences and Chemical Engineering. Projects advanced technician in the Department of Water

Juan A. De La Fuente Bencomo

BA in Marine Sciences and Chemical Engineering. Expert in the evaluation of different desalination systems powered by renewable energy sources (mainly solar photovoltaic and wind), as well as in the testing of different energy recovery systems for seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plants. Technical analysis, design, modelling and simulation of SWRO desalination units. Lecturer in introductory courses on desalination with renewable energies. More than 15 publications

Engineer. Projects advanced technician in the Department of Water.

Gustavo Melián Monroy

Engineer in Automation and Industrial Electronics. Expert in the design, installation, commissioning, testing, operation, monitoring and maintenance of SWRO desalination plants. Specialist in SWRO desalination projects powered by wind and solar energy, as well as desalination using other technologies. Field work, technical reports and audits. 5 publications.

Engineer. Projects advanced technician in the Department of Water

Ángel Rivero Falcón

BA in Chemical Engineering. • Expert in the evaluation of emerging technologies and different processes related to the valorisation of RO brines. Author of a comprehensive report on the state-of-the-art of brine valorisation and commercial solutions including a study of the impacts and barriers to overcome for a successful brine recovery system. Other relevant background information includes: design, development and testing of several pilot plants, course lecturer on RO brine valorisation and speaker in different webinars on the stateof-the-art of RO brine valorisation and on the RO brine valorisation testbed of the DESAL+ Living Lab Platform Technical analysis, design, modelling and simulation of SWRO desalination units. Lecturer in introductory courses on desalination with renewable energies. More than 15 publications