A KAUST desalination membrane is being piloted in Saudi Arabia that could significantly reduce the energy and cost required to convert seawater and concentrated brines into freshwater. Developed by researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), the technology aims to address growing global water scarcity by improving the efficiency and sustainability of desalination processes.
Water scarcity is intensifying worldwide due to population growth, climate change and increasing industrial demand. Desalination already plays a critical role in water supply across arid regions, yet conventional technologies remain energy-intensive and are often uneconomical for small-scale or remote applications. The KAUST desalination membrane has been designed to overcome these limitations by enabling high freshwater output at ambient temperature and pressure.
Subnanoporous membrane design improves efficiency
The KAUST desalination membrane uses ultra-thin polymer films with pores smaller than one nanometre. These subnanoporous structures allow water vapour to pass through while effectively blocking salts and contaminants. Laboratory and pilot-scale results show salt rejection of approximately 99% and complete rejection of boron, even when treating highly concentrated brines that are typically costly to process.
At room temperature, around one square metre of membrane surface can produce up to 40 litres of freshwater per hour from seawater, using approximately 1.88 kilowatt-hours to generate 1,000 litres of freshwater. When operated at 60°C, production increases to 238 litres per hour, highlighting the technology’s potential for integration with industrial waste heat streams.
Addressing energy and water challenges together
“Water and energy are inseparable issues, and our technology addresses both,” said Professor Noreddine Ghaffour, lead author of the study and a specialist in desalination and water treatment at KAUST. “We have shown that it is possible to desalinate not only seawater but even highly concentrated brines, using far less energy than traditional approaches.”
Beyond seawater desalination, the KAUST desalination membrane could support more sustainable management of brine waste from existing desalination plants, as well as produced water from oil and gas operations. By improving water recovery rates and reducing environmental discharge, the technology could help lower the overall footprint of water and energy production systems.
Pilot-scale testing and industrial interest
Unlike many advanced desalination concepts that remain at laboratory scale, the KAUST desalination membrane is already undergoing pilot-scale evaluation on campus. Researchers are assessing scalability, durability and performance under a range of operational conditions, while industrial partners explore potential pathways for commercial deployment across municipal and industrial water systems.
“KAUST provides an environment where fundamental materials science can be translated into practical technologies that respond to real needs,” Professor Ghaffour added.
Related coverage on desalination and treatment technologies can be found in H2O Global News’ Water Treatment section.
