Tuesday, April 16^th SUEZ, a global leader in environmental services, and Salinity Solutions, an engineering technology company based in Birmingham (UK), have signed an agreement to pilot an innovative reverse osmosis system at a fully operational wastewater treatment plant in France.  

Salinity Solutions’ HyBatch, a ground-breaking batch reverse osmosis (RO) technology – the first in the world to be manufactured commercially – has been developed to reduce the environmental impact of water treatment. Salinity’s system uses less energy, purifies a higher amount of wastewater, generates less waste, and is more compact than traditional RO systems.

Jörg Linsenmaier, Executive Vice President for SUEZ Engineering and Construction and Member of Executive Committee: “SUEZ is constantly seeking ways to enable customers to provide access to water services with resilient and innovative solutions. The aim of this partnership is to optimise the re-use of a high-quality wastewater to increase the availability of water, while simultaneously reducing energy and chemical usage.”

Following successful lab trials and a scale-up study over the last 18 months, SUEZ has ordered a unit to be installed later this year. The aim of the pilot is to evaluate how HyBatch – which was initially trialled as a method of concentrating and extracting minerals from brackish flows – can improve  on conventional reverse osmosis, to  remove salts and contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, heavy metals and PFAS from wastewater.

Salinity Solutions’ CEO, Richard Bruges, commented: “I’m delighted to formalise this partnership with SUEZ, which is a tremendous milestone for our company. With global water demand set to double over the next five years, efficient wastewater reuse is essential. Water treatment currently consumes 4% of the world’s total electricity production and conventional reverse osmosis systems are energy intensive.  Working with SUEZ, we can bring significant energy and water savings to the municipal sector and other industries.”

The advanced treatment solution will contribute to promoting wastewater as a new resource, particularly in coastal regions such as the Mediterranean that are exposed to saline intrusion into groundwater resources and sewer networks. 

About Salinity Solutions

Launched in 2021 as a spin-off from the University of Birmingham in April 2021, following 10 years of research and development at Aston University and University of Birmingham under the supervision of Professor Philip Davies, Salinity Solutions addresses two of the biggest challenges in sustaining human life on earth – water and energy. The company has developed a game-changing batch reverse osmosis water purification technology, which uses half the energy of traditional reverse osmosis methods. Its patented, commercially viable solution has been described as the biggest step forward in water treatment in 50 years and has the potential to benefit every corner of the globe – from wastewater clean-up and high value mineral extraction to rural drinking water supply. http://www.salinitysolutions.co.uk/

About SUEZ

Faced with growing environmental challenges, SUEZ has been delivering essential services that protect and improve people’s quality of life for more than 160 years. SUEZ enables its customers to provide access to water and waste services through innovative, resilient solutions. With 40,000 employees across 40 countries, the Group works with its customers to create value over the whole infrastructure and service lifecycle and helps them achieve ecological transition by involving their users. In 2022, SUEZ provided drinking water to 68 million people worldwide and sanitation services to more than 37 million. It also generated 7.9 TWh of energy from waste and wastewater. In 2022, SUEZ’s revenue amounted to €8.8 billion*.  For more information: www.suez.com / Twitter @suez

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We would like to welcome Peter Hillis to the Salinity Solutions Advisory Board. Peter is a water and wastewater treatment expert who has worked globally on projects including research and development, strategic planning, feasibility and concept design, detailed design and commissioning and operational optimisation.

Peter is well respected internationally and brings with him access to a global network of world-leading independent experts. He has published many papers in peer-reviewed journals as well as presenting at international conferences and workshops. Peter was part of a select group that presented technical information to the Badenoch and Bouchier Committees on Cryptosporidium in Drinking Water and he has represented United Utilities in dealings with the Drinking Water Inspectorate and the UK Environment Agency on both technical and strategic matters. Peter is currently based in Melbourne, Australia.

The system is 50 per cent more efficient than existing technologies and recovers 75 to 85 per cent of water

Spotted: New data suggests that urban methane emissions may have been inadvertently underreported by a factor of three to four. When assessed across cities around the world that have populations of two million or more, the amount of underreported methane emissions could be nearly 22 per cent of the global total. Interestingly, the amount of methane correlates with the “estimated rates of untreated wastewater.” 

Treating wastewater is an expensive process and is estimated to use up to three per cent of global energy output. As a means of reducing the carbon footprint of the water treatment industry, UK’s Salinity Solutions has created a system, called SAM50, with such a small footprint that it fits inside a 20-foot shipping container.  

The SAM50 system’s efficiency is extremely high, using approximately 0.8 kilowatt hours (kWh) per cubic metre of water. Each unit processes up to 26 cubic metres of water per day and has been designed for quick installation and plug-and-play use. The system uses reverse osmosis technology to treat effluent and brine, extract minerals, and produce reusable water. Salinity Solutions’ patented pressure exchange process significantly reduces the amount of energy required to run the system, and the reverse osmosis separates highly concentrated volumes of minerals and other materials from the water.  

Salinity Solutions’ first in-field trial of the system was held in Cornwall with Cornish Lithium and concentrated the lithium found in shallow geothermal waters. 

Water is such an important global resource that Springwise is spotting a range of innovations making it easier and more sustainable to clean it, like a solar-powered method and a system that also generates energy during the purification process.

Contact [email protected] for details.

Published by Springwise Thursday, 30th March 2023

Founded in 2021, Salinity Solutions has developed a patented system that promises to purify global water supplies while consuming half of the energy used in conventional methods.

The startup, which was established in Coventry by Professor Philip Davies and Timothy Naughton, has already raised over £3.2 million in grant funding and more than £1.3 million through crowdfunding efforts. 

Company mission 

Salinity Solutions intends to address two of today’s most pressing challenges: the declining availability of freshwater supplies and the excessive consumption of non-renewable energy. 

“The world needs more fresh water, our energy consumption needs to be reduced, and our environmental impact needs to improve,” explains Naughton. “Our passion for water treatment is founded in a very real concern: the demand for freshwater is on the increase while the world’s supply is steadily decreasing.” 

With just 0.5% of the world’s water available as a usable resource, its value to society cannot be overstated. Indeed, water is essential to human survival, economic development, food production, global peace and the health of natural ecosystems. 

Currently, however, our water supplies are in a state of rapid decline. Over the past two decades, terrestrial water storage has been declining by around 1 centimetre each year. This trend is being driven by a number of factors, including population growth, climate change and the ongoing expansion of intensive industrial activity. 

As these factors continue to evolve, estimates suggest that water scarcity will reach the global level as soon as 2030. By 2050, more than five billion people will lack sufficient access for at least one month per year. 

Effective water treatment can ensure that remaining water supplies are kept as a safe and renewable resource but, with most available treatment technologies being extremely energy intensive, the environmental trade-offs involved may only worsen the problem. 

Conventional technology gets an innovative upgrade 

“Salinity Solutions provides a compact and highly efficient water treatment system that will dramatically reduce the energy footprint of a wide range of industrial processes,” says Naughton. The system is based on reverse osmosis, which uses a change in pressure to clean the water by pushing it through a semi-permeable membrane. 

“Reverse Osmosis (RO) is one of the most effective forms of water treatment, but conventional systems are energy intensive and produce too much waste,” Naughton explains.  

“Salinity’s high efficiency Batch RO technology is the first commercialised example of next generation Reverse Osmosis. Its patented system uses less than half the energy of conventional RO, while delivering market leading recovery rates by recirculating the feedwater around the membrane. Its pressure process reduces the average pressure in the system, dramatically reducing pumping energy.”  

Overall, Naughton claims that the technology uses up to 70% less energy than conventional RO while reducing waste by approximately 80%. 

Target market 

According to Naughton, the SAM50 system can be used in applications including environmental clean-ups, water recycling and mineral extraction. With its diverse functionality, the company is targeting industries ranging from municipal wastewater treatment to mining, manufacturing and agriculture. 

“We believe that adoption of this technology will have an impact in every corner of the globe, across every layer of society, from rural drinking water to large industrial processes,” says Naughton. “We’ve already identified at least 20 different sectors which could benefit. Our immediately addressable market is worth €26bn in an industry that will turn over €470bn by 2028.” 

Next steps to commercial expansion 

Though there is clearly a market for its technology, Salinity Solutions will have to overcome a number of hurdles on its road to commercialisation. 

“Our biggest challenge, which will also demonstrate market viability, is to achieve mass adoption of the technology,” Naughton explains. “To achieve rapid adoption, we need to find global licensees for the technology. For this to happen, we need to raise awareness of our work and build our credibility in the water treatment industry, promoting visibility among investors, potential partners, customers, and buyers.” 

Nonetheless, the startup appears to be making progress. It has recently entered into an agreement with Te-Tech, an established manufacturer of water processing solutions, to produce a line of bespoke units that are to be sold into three different industries within the coming year. The company has also partnered with Cornish Lithium, enabling it to demonstrate its technology in an initial field trial. 

“Our next milestone is the conclusion of successful field trials that we are undertaking for municipal wastewater clients.” says Naughton. “In the meantime, we will be looking for additional investment to enable further development of the product and participation in other field trials.” 

As it advances towards its commercial expansion, Salinity Solutions will continue to search for collaborative opportunities while harnessing the support of its local community. 

“We can imagine greater collaboration between the different water treatment technologies (pre-treatment, post-treatment, dosing etc) to help create low-carbon treatment system chains. By working together there can be a greater emphasis on energy reduction of total systems, not just individual components,” Naughton observes. 

“We feel very fortunate to be based in the West Midlands, close to Birmingham, which has rapidly become an epicentre for burgeoning tech start-ups and provides a source of growing talent,” he continues.  

“The city is extremely supportive of entrepreneurs, proving a wealth of incentives, funding and support to ensure companies survive those early business years. We have recently won a grant to allow us to move into a bespoke site adjacent to the Birmingham Energy Institute. Also, as a University of Birmingham spinout company, we benefit greatly from the ongoing assistance offered by its enterprise arm, including PR, investment and governance.” 

Contact [email protected] for details.

Published by Energy Voice Wednesday, 12th April 2023

We’re pleased to announce that the results from our first field trial have been very encouraging.

The trial was the first opportunity to test the SAM50 (Small and Mighty 50Bar) prototype unit outside of lab conditions. The unit, which remained on site for a fortnight, was able to concentrate Cornish Lithium’s brine by over five times concentration. The prototype unit has now arrived back in Coventry for inspection ahead of further testing in a few weeks’ time.​
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“It’s been a great first trial of the unit in real world conditions. Five times concentration was our target and we’ve achieved it. The next stage is to ensure we can match high brine concentration levels with optimum energy efficiency. A huge thank you to Cornish Lithium who were wonderfully hospitable and supportive throughout our time on site,” said Tim Naughton, CTO and founder.​
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Dr Rebecca Paisley, Exploration Geochemist at Cornish Lithium added “We’re pleased with the way this first trial has progressed and with the brine concentration levels that have been achieved. We look forward to continue working with the Salinity team as we plan for the next round of testing as soon as possible.” 

Salinity Solution’s founder Tim Naughton met with Kwasi Kwarteng during a ministerial visit to Cornish Lithium’s United Downs site.

The Secretary of State was touring the site during Salinity’s first field trial with Cornish Lithium. Tim was able to explain Salinity’s high efficiency compact reverse osmosis process and how it improves the efficiency of lithium extraction from brine.​
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Tim said; “It was great to meet Kwasi Kwarteng. He’s really enthusiastic about the UK lithium industry and was interested to know how our system works, about the marriage of chemistry and engineering and was very pleased to hear how positive the results have been.”​

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