Somaliland: REvivED Water ”- Solar Powered Desalination Plant wins smarter E AWARD 2020

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Installing a REvivED water desalination unit at the village of Beyo Gulan, Somaliland (photo credits: Phaesun).

In May 2018, Phaesun installed the first solarpowered pilot plant in Beyo Gulan, a small village in the desert of Somaliland.

On June 30, 2020: Innovative business models and future-oriented projects for a sustainable energy industry were again awarded the The smarter E AWARD 2020 this year. Phaesun GmbH, Solar Chernobyl LLC and SunPower Corporation impressed with their future-oriented projects and are the winners in the “Outstanding Projects” category. In the “Smart Renewable Energy” category, the award went to Stadtwerke München GmbH, Fronius International GmbH and Next Kraftwerke GmbH. The prizes were awarded this year – due to the corona-related cancellation of The smarter E Europe 2020 – as part of a virtual award ceremony on June 30, 2020 – together with the innovation awards Intersolar AWARD and ees AWARD.

This year, too, companies and project owners were awarded the major innovation award in the energy sector, The smarter E AWARD, for pioneering solutions. The focus of the “Outstanding Projects” category was on projects that had already been completed in the areas of solar, storage, e-mobility and energy management. In the “Smart Renewable Energy” category, solutions for sector coupling and intelligent management of solar systems in conjunction with other producers and consumers dominated this year. The winners of The smarter E AWARD were recognized on June 30, 2020 via live stream on a virtual stage in front of an international audience.

Outstanding Projects Category Winners

Phaesun GmbH (Germany): “REvivED Water” – solar powered desalination in Somaliland
Phaesun, based in Memmingen, Germany, specializes in off-grid photovoltaic technology. As part of the EU development and innovation project “REvivED Water”, Phaesun developed the first small solar-powered desalination unit on the market that is based on electrodialysis technology and is used to purify brackish water. The project was implemented by working with a team consisting of interdisciplinary partners – from architects and universities to start-ups. The desalination system enables villagers and nomads in remote areas of Somaliland to be supplied with up to 2,000 liters of clean drinking water per day. Electrodialysis is based on membrane technology: electrical current ensures that salt ions are passed through an ion exchange membrane and the salinity is considerably reduced. Remote areas in particular can be supplied with drinking water using solar energy.
The jury was particularly impressed by the cost efficiency and the low maintenance requirements of this solution, its effectiveness and the proven feasibility in rural areas of Africa and India, where there is a lack of clean drinking water. Continue reading