KAUST Desalination Membrane Advances Energy-Efficient Sustainable Water Treatment

Scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology have created a desalination membrane now on pilot trial, designed to turn seawater and concentrated brines into freshwater using much less energy than current systems, in a development that could influence future water supplies in Saudi Arabia.

Reliable and efficient desalinated water production is a long-term national priority for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is already one of the largest producers worldwide, and faces rising demand as population numbers increase and industrial activities expand, making lower energy and operational costs an important policy target.

The KAUST team reports a scalable polymer desalination membrane that functions at ambient temperature and pressure, using subnanoporous hydrophobic thin films within a membrane distillation process, which lets water vapour pass while stopping dissolved salts and other contaminants, keeping ultrahigh salt rejection even when handling brines that are usually challenging and expensive to treat.

Energy demand is a major concern for desalination plants that process seawater and industrial brines into freshwater, and the new membrane addresses this by requiring substantially less power than many conventional technologies used in the Kingdom and elsewhere. "Water and energy are inseparable challenges for Saudi Arabia," said Professor Noreddine Ghaffour, lead author of the study and a specialist in desalination and water treatment at KAUST. "This work shows that it is possible to desalinate not only seawater, but even highly concentrated brines, using far less energy than traditional approaches. KAUST provides an environment where fundamental materials science can be translated into practical technologies that respond to real needs."

Unlike many advanced desalination concepts that do not move beyond laboratory conditions, the KAUST desalination membrane is already being tested at pilot scale on the university campus, operating under realistic conditions at ambient temperature and pressure, while industrial partners review potential routes for larger scale production and deployment in Saudi facilities.

The work supports broader national and institutional efforts to strengthen water sustainability, improve energy efficiency and expand applied innovation, with researchers planning to study how the desalination membrane performs over time, including its mechanical durability and consistency under changing operating conditions, to guide designs for industrial and municipal seawater and brine treatment systems.

As the pilot phase continues at KAUST, the study brings the new desalination membrane technology closer to practical use in Saudi Arabia, where improved methods for turning seawater and concentrated brines into freshwater could help secure future supplies while managing energy use in line with long-term strategic goals.

With inputs from SPA