Marseille-based start-up Seanergy has embarked on a crucial mission to meet the growing challenge of global water scarcity. After three years of relentless research, they have developed a revolutionary seawater desalination technology, called cryo-separation, which proves to be far more energy-efficient than traditional methods.
The concept is ingenious: by simultaneously cooling pure water to 0°C and salt water (which freezes slightly below, at around -2°C), a process of material separation is set in motion. The pure water crystals form and rise to the surface, leaving behind the salt-laden water in liquid form.
Although the principle may seem simple, it has taken decades of research effort to perfect. The real innovation lies in a special technology that requires very precise temperature and pressure conditions to work properly.
This promising development could potentially revolutionize the way we produce drinking water, offering a glimmer of hope in the face of water stress that threatens more than five billion people in the next thirty years, according to the World Meteorological Organization. A demonstrator of this technology is scheduled for installation in the port of Marseille Fos in the second half of 2023.