(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)The UAE faces a unique dichotomy: depleting groundwater resources and one of the highest per capita rates of water consumption in the world.
UAE residents are estimated to use an average of 550 litres of water a day each more than double the global average of 250 litres. It's evident that despite being an arid country people have been taking water resources for granted. According to research by the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology the UAE's groundwater is depleting at a rate of 0.5 centimetres a year. The UAE relies on its groundwater reserves to provide over 50 per cent of the country's freshwater most of it going towards the agriculture sector for irrigation. Desalination provides around 37 per cent of the UAE's water demand and is used mainly for industrial and domestic consumption. The remaining demand is met by treated waste water which is used for landscaping irrigation. However desalination is an energy-intensive process that contributes to climate change and pollution. Efforts are under way on pilot projects to develop energy-efficient desalination technologies. For instance renewable energy company Masdar is working on four small-scale desalination plants in Ghantoot that are designed to test energy-efficient ways of producing drinking water. The UAE government has set an ambitious target to reduce water use by 20 per cent by 2030. This entails the need for more awareness campaigns to reduce water consumption setting higher utility tariffs to optimise resource management and find alternative ways of sourcing and treating water. Stockholm Cleantech firms On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of World Water Week in Stockholm Sweden Khaleej Times was given an overview of a few Cleantech companies that are pioneers in producing wastewater treatment and renewable energy technologies. Those include Solvatten a portable water treatment and solar water heater system designed for use in households; CorPower Ocean a device that produces utility-scale energy from ocean waves; Aqua-Q which has patented an online water monitoring and sampling technology that helps detect contamination in water real time; and Bioptech which manufactures compact wastewater treatment units with a filter that absorbs phosphorous and produces recycled water free of bacteria and odour. All these technologies could find commercial applications in the UAE. The UAE has committed to add renewable sources of power in its energy mix. Abu Dhabi aims to secure seven per cent of its total energy needs from renewable sources by 2020 while Dubai has committed to a 15 per cent target by 2030. In the push for renewables policy makers could tap wave energy a technology that is not as developed as its renewable peers yet offers vast potential as a future energy source. As 71 per cent of the earth's surface is covered by oceans there is scope to generate tidal energy on a large scale. The UAE is already a regional leader in deploying solar power. "Just as its massive oil reserves provided a springboard for the incumbent energy revolution its huge solar resources and cutting-edge technology developments are shaping the UAE as a hub for the new clean energy revolution. Uniquely positioned in the world's solar 'hot-spot' the UAE is set to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of solar sector growth" a report released by The Climate Group a non-profit environmental organisation said. Solar power offers the strongest economic opportunity in the UAE. Other technologies such as geothermal and hydrogen power are seen as viable complements in the UAE's renewables journey but due to falling costs coupled with the region's vast resources solar is now accepted as the key competitive alternative to oil in the UAE the report added. - CorPower Ocean's wave energy converter (WEC) is a giant buoy that oscillates in resonance with sea waves harvesting energy from the ocean. Its design has been inspired by the pumping principles of the human heart. "The challenge in wave power is to design a device that is robust enough to survive the toughest storms at the same time produce enough energy to make it a viable business case. So far wave energy converters have been too large and costly compared to their energy output which has prevented commercial harvesting" said Patrik Moller CEO. Aqua-Q has created the AquaTrack Early Warning technology for real time monitoring and sampling in water treatment plants and water distribution companies. This helps detect water-borne pathogens. An online early warning system enables the management to take evasive action. The company also targets industries that have a high level of water dependence. Threats of contaminated water include downtime increased costs reputational damage and potential legal liabilities. An AquaTrack system costs ?40000. "We are looking for partners and finance to take our project to broader markets" said Ulla Chowdhury director and founder. Bioptech produces unique filter beds that can simultaneously be used for domestic wastewater treatment and recycling phosphorous a finite resource. The Swedish firm produces compact wastewater treatment plants that can be used in individual households and small and large phosphorous filters. Having installed 4000 such plants in Sweden Bioptech is now looking to upscale the filters for larger industrial and municipal wastewater treatment plants and in animal farms and farmland ditches. The full installation of Bioptech's compact wastewater treatment plant in a household will cost around ?10000 said Anders Noren CEO.
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