🎯 DAY ONE - Tuesday 15 March 2022
SESSION 1 – Looking at the desalination landscape in the MENA region
Opening panel discussion: Overview of the market dynamics to understand the status of desalination in the MENA region.
- Discussing key project strategies and vision in the Middle East region
- Exploring the region’s investment plans in water desalination sector
- Analysing in the rising concerns of water scarcity and how desalination is paving the way to meet water demands
- Identifying key policies, initiatives, and collaborations on water desalination to overcome scarcity challenges
- Achieving social, economic, and environmental goals through a sustainable water strategy
SESSION 2 – Exploring latest water desalination technology applications
Panel discussion two: EPC session – Role of desalination technologies in an increasingly water-scarce economy.
- Identifying new solutions that can lower energy consumption and improve efficiency (such as biomimetic membranes with aquaporin structure and cellulose nanofibers)
- Analysing different technologies (MSF, MVC, RO, MED, TVC, MD, SC, HDH, SSD etc) to understand the important process in freshwater production
- Exploring digital technologies that can increase the efficiency of water treatment plants
- Analysing cost differences between thermal technologies (which are most capital-intensive) and SWRO
- Understanding multiple improvements in the membrane technology in hybrid systems
Project case studies: Privatisation of desalination projects in the GCC countries and key project showcases.
- Discussing the rise in IWP and its role in leading to generation of new opportunities for developers, lenders, and stakeholders
- Looking at game changing projects that have paved the way for future water sector restructuring
- Understanding how privatisation helps authorities commercialize projects and increase efficiency
Panel discussion three: Identifying the potential of renewable energy resources in sustainability of water desalination as a fresh water source.
- Looking at the trends and types of renewable water desalination technologies
- Exploring target water demands like potable demand, industrial demand, and agriculture demand in renewable energy desalination
- Evaluating the potential of water desalination and distribution for load shifting in an off-grid remote energy system
- Understanding coupling PV and CSP with RO and MED plants to minimize the cost and to maximize the RE penetration
Presentation 1 – Optimising water desalination as an alternative source of water for irrigation, food production etc.
- Enhancing the production process to augment desalinated water production for agricultural purpose
- Identifying how you can select a suitable technology based on your water quality requirement for crops
- Policies and regulations in desalination of seawater for food production
🎯 DAY TWO - Wednesday 16 March 2022
SESSION 3 – Review on emerging desalination technologies and its future
Panel discussion one: Discussing innovative and advance researched techniques in desalination
- Evaluating feedwater intake technology and impacts
- Discussing innovations in pre-treatment and anti-fouling technologies
- Identifying halophytes with commercial value that can be grown in lined facilities irrigated with RO brines
- Assessing the latest impacts of treatment and process operation modifications to enhance the performance and reliability of secondary, tertiary, and advanced treatment systems
Presentation 1 – Updates on the development of EWEC water expansion plans
Country-focused project briefings
Experts from key countries in the MENA region to brief on the latest and upcoming water desalination projects in the region and related investments.
-
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – Eng. Tariq Alghaffari, Local Competencies Project Manager, Saudi Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC)
-
Jordan – Refaat Bani Khalaf – Director, Water Authority of Jordan
-
Morocco – Charafat Afilal – Advisor and Former Minister of Water, Moroccan National Company of Drinking Water and Sanitation
Panel discussion two: Advancing desalination techniques using digitalisation of processes for increased efficiency and commerciality.
- Discussing automation of desalination plants with the most effective technologies
- Exploring industrial communication and security technologies in line with compliance
- Understanding how digital twin integrates water data and business processes in the seawater desalination plant
- Identifying the top and most effective digital water management technologies in the region
- Looking at aspects of process instrumentation and liquid analytics system for guaranteed water quality
Presentation 2 – Financing and investment to support advancement and development of the desalination technologies
- Discussing the level of involvement of the private sector (risk exposure and investment bar)
- Understanding the impact of regulations and plant compliance procedures on new technologies investments
- Exploring available financing solutions in innovative desalination techniques