For greater access to fresh water
Applying technology to improve the end-to-end efficiency, replicability and scalability of desalination plants operations on a global scale.
R-evolution launch initiative to accelerate sustainable desalination
The scarcity of fresh water is one of humanity’s biggest challenges, and R-evolution is working to alleviate that need. In collaboration with key industry partners, we’re applying Hexagon’s Smart Digital Reality™ to optimise desalination methods. This initiative seeks to propel advancements in desalination technology, create efficiency gains and promote sustainable practices on a global scale.
Why Desalination?
Desalination stands as a vital solution to address a significant portion of the world's growing water scarcity concerns. With the potential to provide sustainable, potable water resources, desalination promises to meet an estimated 25% of the escalating global demand for drinkable water by 2050. R-evolution aims to solve water scarcity challenges through innovative methods, diverging from conventional water practices.
By harnessing the power of Hexagon’s Smart Digital Reality and partners’ technology, the initiative seeks to accelerate innovative, sustainable, desalination alternatives, steering away from the depletion of natural fresh water sources and unsustainable processes that rely on non-renewable energy and harmful chemicals.
Partnership for global impact
The desalination initiative begins with a strategic technical partnership with Desolenator, a Dutch start-up that provides the world’s first solar thermal desalination process to produce high-quality desalinated water with zero harm to the planet.
The solar approach, including modular technology, eliminates the high energy reliance issues involved in traditional methods. Unlike reverse osmosis, Desolenator’s patented solution uses zero harmful chemicals, zero membranes and zero energy intermittency.
R-evolution is contributing to the optimisation of Desolenator’s process by providing the desalination digital twin, for monitoring and asset performance management, all powered by Hexagon’s Smart Digital Reality solutions.
The first Desolenator plant to showcase the partnership’s end-to-end solution, including energy, water and digital thread, is in Al Ain, UAE. At its first stage, the solar thermal desalination plant converts brackish water to clean water with over 60% recovery ratio, three times recycling, for a levelised cost of water under 1 dollar per cubic metre. The water is used by the UAE agriculture company Silai to produce cherry tomatoes through an innovative approach from agriculture firm, RedSea. The plant’s first stage is planned to launch in time for the U.N. climate summit in Dubai (COP 28).
The digital thread in action
Together with Desolenator, R-evolution is creating the desalination digital twin, to monitor, visualise and provide real-time action insights through an end-to-end energy, water and digital thread.
Hexagon technologies in action:
Build - Time laps and AI monitoring
The real-time monitoring and surveillance system Oxblue increases visibility into the performance of the plant with time lapse and AI monitoring for quicker time-to-resolution and early performance insights across all stages from...
Operate – Asset Performance Management
The RevX mobile asset performance management solution ¬provides key data points from the site, streamlining work order management in the plant and providing actionable insights at the owner/operators’ fingertips.
Optimize – 3D Digital Twin
The Leica BLK2GO reality capture sensor captures point-cloud data to generate a digital twin of the plant. This visualisation helps to optimise workflows and improve site management to increase efficiency in the desalination process.
The future of desalination projects
To address the pressing issues of water scarcity and ensure sustainable fresh water resources, the scale of desalination efforts must surge significantly over the next decade. With our ever-developing digital thread for desalination optimisation and development, R-evolution is committed to fostering strategic collaborations worldwide. Our aim is to seamlessly integrate technology into upcoming sustainable water projects for a future with accessible drinking water for all.
Case study: Desolenator x R-evolution
Learn more about how R-evolution is adding a digital layer to desalination to boost efficiency at scale with a first partnership with Dutch start-up desolenator.
