Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has launched a new solar desalination facility in collaboration with partner...
Problem
Water:
Our greatest risk
—
Water technologies today, especially desalination, are unsustainable
—
Desalination – tapping into the 98%
We live on a blue planet, yet global water demand is being met by <1% of the world’s total available water.
With 98% of the world’s water in our seas and oceans, desalination is a critical piece in solving our global water crisis.
Solution
A game-changing solution
Desolenator is a new approach to net-zero water provisioning. Our modular units start at 250 cubic meters per day, and produce the lowest levelized cost of water from complex sources such as seawater. Below images are from our plant delivered in Dubai for the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA).
The design of our plants is supported not only by data on the ground, but also assisted by an AI-based tool we have developed to generate the ideal plant for a given scenario
Vision and strategy
"Our vision is to disrupt the global water crisis in the most sustainable way,
through the rollout of our solar desalination platform for businesses and communities across the world."
— William Janssen & Alexei Levene
Product
Desolenator’s difference is embedded in three patented key processes
—
—
Business model
Net-zero water as a service
Water as a Service forms the basis of Desolenator’s revenue model.
- For the customer, it delivers ultra-pure sustainable water through a simple monthly bill;
- ensuring a long-term, guaranteed reliable source of water in an uncertain world.
- For Desolenator, it ensures long-term guaranteed income.
- For the planet, it ensures sustainable water production.
Desolenator created a scalable model where income from water is guaranteed every month. Following a similar model to a standard Power Purchase Agreement, customers sign a long term off-take agreement for water. This is a contract which secures the purchase of a set volume of water, at an agreed price over a designated time period. The customer pays a monthly water bill with Desolenator receiving additional revenue streams in the form of Licensing fees, Operation and Maintenance fees with the potential to expand into Carbon and Water credits.
Desolenator modules which start at 250m3/day, are fully financed through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) whereby Desolenator owns a share of the SPV and is the operator for each asset, open for additonal equity investors into the asset.
Designed for Rapid Deployment
Desolenator modules are pre-commissioned and pre-assembled, designed for rapid deployment. This significantly reduces installation and logistics costs, reduces deployment risks, and enables economy at scale for manufacturing.
Traction
Deployed and operational in 2022
Delivered for customer Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA).
The Desolenator ecosystem
Customers
Market
Access to high-quality and reliable water is a question of survival
for businesses and communities.
By 2030, $1.1-1.3 trillion will be needed in investments into water infrastructure (McKinsey).
Desolenator:
- Secures critical assets and value chains for businesses exposed to the water crisis
- Provides communities with reliable low-cost water provisioning
- Delivers net-zero ultra-pure water (<1ppm) with the highest sustainability standards
Market focus
Competition
Desolenator has 3 international patents and has grown into a renowned brand contributing to global discussions around water security at events such as Davos.
Desolenator is a step-change to traditional means of desalination which is performed through a process called Reverse Osmosis (RO).
RO technologies are:
- based on the fossil fuel economy
- highly opex expensive with high maintenance costs
- require sensitive membranes which are calibrated to one type of water
- require the water to undergo pre and post treatment with multiple toxic chemicals (caustic acids, sulphates etc)
- produce a toxic brine
In contrast, Desolenator is:
- 100% solar powered
- can treat a range of complex contamination and water quality that changes over time
- 24/7 off-grid
- uses no toxic chemicals
- produces an ocean safe brine and is optimised for Zero Liquid Discharge
- produces water for <1 USD/1000L
- leverages IoT and AI to optimise design and operations
Impact
Desolenator's mission is to #Waterproof
communities and businesses exposed
to the water crisis with zero harm to the planet.
Desolenator provides a water solution platform, underpinned by a patented desalination technology and delivered through a scalable "Water as a Service" model.
Desolenator impact ecosystem
Funding
Key financial partners
& investors
ND Group (Institution)
International private equity and portfolio holding company with focus on sustainability, circular economy and a net zero future. Owns companies including Ecolog and E.Go.
Katapult Ocean (Institution)
Norway-based venture capital fund that invests in and supports startups that have a positive impact on our ocean.
Paddy Padmanthan (Angel)
Chairman, CEO—ACWA Power
$64 billion of desalination and solar assets under management
Led most over-subscribed (248x) IPO
Scott Mackin (Angel)
Managing Partner—Denham Capital
Leading climate investment fund based in UK
Jim Chu (Angel)
A successful entrepreneur implementing Water as a Service in some of the toughest scenarios. Now leading Untapped Global, a company deploying capital into entrepreneurs across Africa.
David Yeung (Angel)
Pioneering the plant based food movement across Aisa through Green Monday, a venture capital and plant based product business.