Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Finland
Left: iStockphoto Right: Julius Pohjola, director, Middle-East (left) and Antti Pohjola, CEO (right). Photo: Solar Water Solutions
On a mission to create sustainable fresh water Finland is known for its innovations and blossoming start-up scene, so it will come as no surprise that there is yet another Finnish technology start-up showcasing its innovative approach, this time in the renewable energy sector. Introducing: Solar Water Solutions.
producing fresh water powered by solar energy. The company’s commercial phase will start in autumn 2016 after the pilot project has been successfully completed.
By Nina Lindqvist
Founded in 2015, Solar Water Solutions is a newcomer in its field but has already attracted significant interest from key actors. The company has received funding from the European Commission amongst others. As the name implies, the company produces fresh water from sea water in a sustainable way using only solar or wind energy.
“Sea water desalination with reverse osmosis is the best way to produce fresh water, as around 80 per cent of the world’s population live relatively close to the coast line. Current processes for sea water desalination are very energy-intensive and produce large CO2 emissions,” Pohjola explains.
“We develop solar-powered desalination plants for remote islands and locations. Our mission is to create sustainable fresh water in environments where it is difficult or even seemingly impossible,” says Antti Pohjola, CEO of Solar Water Solutions.
The biggest potential market for Solar Water Solutions is currently the Gulf region, which accounts for around 50 per cent of the global desalination market. In line with market demand, the company is opening an office in Abu Dhabi in the city of Masdar, an eco-city and world leader in renewable energy desalination technology development. The Solar Water Solutions office will be part of the Nordic Innovation Hub, described as a business incubator designed to bring Nordic clean technologies and solutions to the UAE.
The key driving demand for the company’s innovation is the number of people lacking access to clean, safe drinking water, which currently stands at around 1.1 billion globally. Furthermore, by 2040, half of the world’s population will live in water-stressed areas. Solar Water Solution’s patented technology allows exceptionally efficient fresh water production, all while keeping operating costs at almost zero. 62 | Issue 90 | July 2016
A vision of a less polluted future
Solar Water Solutions has recently opened its first pilot plant operating in a real environment, in the Port of Hanko in Finland. It is a mobile unit in a container
With big innovations come big plans, and so also for Solar Water Solutions. “We aim to become an international manufacturer of environmentally friendly solar energy-powered small-scale desalination plants. The long-term aim is to replace the polluting diesel-powered desalination plants and diesel as a power source in remote islands and locations,” Pohjola concludes. Solar Water Solution targets the smallscale desalination plants segment, meaning from one up to 500 cubic metres per day. On many remote islands the cost of water is over seven dollars per cubic metre. As the operating costs with solar energy are low, the cost of water from the Solar Water Solutions systems will be under one euro per cubic metre. In technological R&D development, the company has worked closely with Aalto University in Finland.
For more information, please visit: www.solarwatersolutions.fi
