Portugal in saltwater to freshwater pilot

A group of researchers at the Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (INEGI) in Porto has developed a desalination system that uses solar thermal energy to turn seawater into fresh water and contribute towards solving Portugal’s water crisis.

The scientists are still collecting data to prove the viability of technology, announced in February, but the prototype is almost complete according to the researcher in charge of the project, Szabolcs Varga in an interview with Jornal Económico.
Trials using the pilot should be completed in the summer of 2023, despite delays caused by a lack of raw materials and the increase in inflation.
“Portugal has only recently been confronted with a lack of fresh water which is why there has not been significant investment in the country in the desalination field. With current climate, the paradigm has changed, requiring management of the country’s water sources and come up with an effective and swift solution and this process will have an important role”, he said.