Many countries, including the UAE, have taken a proactive, leading role in leveraging technology and innovation to develop the most cost-effective and sustainable solutions to address water scarcity and the lack of access to potable water.

One of the winning technologies that emerged during the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award’s first cycle was the solar-powered reverse osmosis (RO) plant developed by the Netherland’s Elemental Water Makers. The nomination won first place in the ‘Innovative Projects Award’ category – Small Projects. 

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award encourages leading corporations, research centres, institutions, the youth and innovators from across the world to compete in finding sustainable and innovative solutions to the problem of water scarcity and is held under the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation and supervised by the UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia). The Foundation is currently promoting the third cycle of the Award.

Al Tayer

Elemental Water Makers’ RO plant has a daily production capacity of 12,500 litres of clean water. It can run 24 hours a day and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by an estimated 25 tonnes each year. The company’s innovative placement of the plant on an elevated hill helped lower the energy cost of operating the plant, resulting in 63 per cent savings compared to a conventional RO facility.

As an innovative and technology-driven organisation focusing on solar desalination, Elemental Water Makers has been involved in life-changing projects across different countries. Almost 50 per cent of the company’s projects are geared towards helping communities by providing them with access to safe drinking water.

Apart from producing innovative technologies, it has also founded the Elemental Water Foundation to help Madagascar’s rural communities in terms of their water needs. 

During this pandemic, Elemental Water Makers, an international company, has been affected by travel restrictions like other enterprises worldwide. The pandemic’s impact on various countries that could have benefited from affordable clean water sourced “from the sea and sun” are considered challenges to the company’s business as well. Unfazed by the problems, it has adapted to the new reality to meet its projected growth despite the limitations.

Whilst much has been done in bridging the gap between water supply and access, the company believes that more efforts are needed for needy communities globally.

Out of 138 entries, Elemental was chosen as the winner for its scalable and mature solutions

“We need to fully harness the power of modern technologies to enrich the lives of many through easier access to clean water.  Technical and sustainable models are key to turning this goal into reality faster and better. This makes the Award even more vital and urgent, as numerous families globally continue to live with limited or zero access to the water supply. The Award does not only highlight the importance of technical innovation; it also emphasises the significance of cooperating and collaborating as a global community to find sustainable solutions that work. The UAE is taking the lead in this initiative through the Award,” Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Suqia said.

For Elemental Water Makers, being part of the Award’s winners has elevated the company’s global positioning, especially in terms of credibility and visibility. It was also a great way to get external validation for its unique solutions.

“The company used its prize money to enhance its technology and improve its global status. We were active in three countries, with five operational projects, when we took part in the Award. Today, we have a market presence in over 15 countries with at least 35 projects,” said Sid Vollebregt, Managing Director, Elemental Water Makers.  

Elemental Water Makers submitted its entry to the Award upon its partners’ encouragement in the water sector. Out of the 138 entries competing for Award’s 1st cycle, it bagged the top prize in the ‘Innovative Projects Award category – Small Projects’.  

Elemental Water Makers has welcomed the move to expand the scope of the Award’s third cycle to include various sources of renewable energy.w  “We know there have been a lot of companies trying to integrate wave energy with desalination, and we are curious to see whether there have been parties that have a truly scalable innovation,” added Vollebregt.