Representatives from Toray Advanced Materials Korea (TAK) and Toray Membranes Spain recently visited the ITC facilities to gain further insight into our brine valorisation open testbed, as part of the cooperation agreement signed between TAK and ITC.
The delegation included Hugh Kim, the Filter Export Sales Team Manager from TAK Filter Business Division; Lee Jonghwa, the Filter Research Team Leader from Toray R&D Institute Fiber Materials Research Center; Sunhwa Hwang, a member of the Filter Technical Support Team; Dara Velázquez, the Area Sales Manager from Toray Membrane Spain; and Federico León, a professor from ULPGC as a consultant.
Their visit on March 15th commenced with an overview presentation of the DESAL+ LIVING LAB platform and the desalination brine valorisation open testbed, which is part of the SEIDI2NEW_AGUA initiative, 100% funded by Cabildo de Gran Canaria and Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. Subsequently, TAK were briefed on the nanofiltration pilot plant test results achieved in recent months, concluding with valuable feedback from TAK to shape future tests and enhance research endeavours. The second segment of the visit featured a guided tour of various pilot plants of DESAL+ LIVING LAB, including DESALRO 2.0, DESSOL 2.0, Nanofiltration, OARO (Brine concentration), and FO (Forward Osmosis).
This event falls within the framework of the cooperation agreement between both organizations, signed on 17th December 2021 and recently extended for another two years, until end of 2025. This cooperation agreement means a significant step towards advancing research and innovation in brine valorisation, with the continued collaboration and the positive impact it will have on collective efforts. Leveraging the rich resources and capabilities of ITC’s brine valorisation testbed, new paths and pioneer solutions that contribute to sustainable water management and environmental conservation can be achieved.