On December 14, Pascal Malesinki, Technical Director of Seawards, was awarded the Henry Fabre Science and Technology Prize for his innovative technique for producing fresh water from seawater.
The Prix Henri Fabre des Sciences et des Technologies is awarded every December in Marseille to regional personalities who have distinguished themselves in the fields of science, literature or the arts. The prize is proposed by the French Society of Engineers and Scientists in Provence (IESF Provence). This year, Pascal Malesinski, head of research and development at Seawards, was honored for his innovation in the production of fresh water by desalination of seawater. Bernard Tramier, member and former president of the Académie des Sciences, Lettres et Arts de Marseille, presented him with the award during the ceremony at the Palais du Pharo.
This new innovation is called cryo-separation. It enables freshwater crystals to be separated from those loaded with mineral salts at negative temperatures. A breakthrough technology compared with existing desalination techniques, such as reverse osmosis, and embodied in agile, clean and sustainable modules.