By 2050, 40% of the world's population will be living in water scarce conditions. One of the essential technologies in tackling this problem is reverse osmosis desalination. Its largest disadvantage is the astronomical operational costs which are mainly due to the high electricity consumption and cost of the specialised membranes.

Aqualo, a spin-out from University of Birmingham, offers a patented method of desalination. Aqualo's proprietary technology not only reduces the power consumption required for reverse osmosis by up to 70-90% but also maintains a high recovery of water and extends the lifetime of the high cost membranes. Aqualo's electricity consumption is so low that the technology is perfectly suited to run solar-powered, making it ideal for the off-grid desalination solutions.

Aqualo's desalination machines are designed to operate in harsh environments and can be powered by renewable energy in rural areas, as demonstrated in pilot studies in the West Bank of the Jordan River. There, one of early Aqualo's prototypes is currently supplying a farmer with irrigation water.

Aqualo offers a unique technology with numerous key advantages. There is currently no direct competition and Aqualo is well placed to become the leading player in the emerging worldwide off-grid desalination market. Successful completion of this Innovate UK project will launch Aqualo on the path to commercial customer engagement and sales. This will prove extremely beneficial for both the national and regional economy through creation of jobs, external investment and export growth, not to mention the global impact on the environment.