Cofunded by the European Union

Maturity Level : 
A.3. RIs within National Roadmaps
RI Acronym : 
INIESC
Institution/Coordinating Institution : 
Universidade de Évora
Country : 
Portugal
Current Status : 
Active
Location : 
Universidade de Évora, Cátedra Energias Renováveis Plataforma de Ensaios de Concentradores Solares Herdade da Mitra - Valverde 7000-083 Nossa Senhora da Tourega Portugal
RI Type : 
Distributed RI (Central Hub and interlinked National Nodes RI)
Level of Access : 
Transnational
Cost of Access : 
Other
(Paid access based on access type and duration)
Keywords : 
Environmental Chemistry - Solar Desalination - Renewable Energy Sources
Water4All Keywords : 
Hydro-climatic extreme events adaptation - Emerging contaminants - Antimicrobial resistance - Sustainable water demands - Water technologies - Water-smart circular economy - Resilience and sustainability
Domains and thematic area : 
Sustainable Water Management
Services provided : 
Access data and metadata - Training services - Knowledge transfer - Data management
(Infrastructure access to carry out experimental campaigns)
Equipment : 
Numerical modelling - Other
(Demonstration pilots)
Type of variables provided : 
Water quality variables - Meteorological and climatic variables - Other
Type of funding : 
European;National;Own Resources
Source : 
Phase 2 questionnaire;website
Links with other entries : 
DANUBIUS-ERIC

At Évora pole of INIESC, the Solar Desalination and Water Treatment Platform comprises:

1) a pilot system demonstrating Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) desalination, supported entirely by solar energy conversion and smart brine valorization strategies. The pilot system, with a capacity to treat 1 m³/day of water, is powered entirely by renewable energy and integrates: (i) a reverse osmosis system (PV/RO) supplied by photovoltaic electricity; (ii) a Multiple-Feed Plug Flow Reactor (MF-PFR) for selective salt precipitation; (iii) a Membrane Distillation (MD) unit, that can be supplied, for the thermal circuit, by two electric resistances of 9kW each, or by thermal energy from a 16 kWth CPC solar collector field (Solartech-loop), where solar heat is captured using thermal oil circulating through the collector field and subsequently transferred via a heat exchanger to the MD module feed stream; and (iv) two solar evaporation ponds for final brine concentration.

2) a prototype of a solar reactor for water treatment, consisting of a tubular photoreactor with 150 L total volume and 62.32 L illuminated volume, that operates in batch mode with water recirculation. It is composed of a non-evacuated tubular receiver (125 mm diameter), having a non-imaging modified near-one-concentration (One-Sun) Compound Parabolic Collectors type (CPC-type) back reflector, that captures and uses both direct and diffuse solar radiation in the visible and UV range, with a simplified geometry. This pilot can be used to test solar photooxidation processes (e.g., H2O2, chloride, peroxymonosulfate as oxidants) and solar photocatalysis with supported or suspended photocatalysts, in the treatment of urban or industrial wastewaters.

Part A: Research Infrastructures / Observatories

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The Water4All Partnership - Water Security for the Planet - is a funding programme for scientific research in freshwater. It aims to tackle water challenges to face climate change, help to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and boost the EU’s competitiveness and growth.

It is co-funded by the European Union within the frame of the Horizon Europe programme (a key funding programme for research and innovation). The Partnership duration is for seven years from 2022.

The Water4All objective is to enable water security at a large scale and in the long term. Its goal is also to tackle water issues in a holistic frame. 

All forms of life on earth need water. All human activities operate with this resource. Water is part of our everyday life. It is also integrated within urban and countryside landscapes. It is one of the most valuable elements we share with plants and animals.

These simple facts must be kept in mind to understand the Water4All ambition.

This resource is weakened in many places due to climate changes, and human habits. We know that we can improve the way we use water. Everyone has a role to play and especially the scientific research community.

Scientific research is the heart of the Partnership as It is a powerful tool to improve knowledge on preserving, restoring, and managing this essential resource. 

International cooperation is also needed as water has no borders on Earth and runs from one country to another.

Water4All brings together a broad and cohesive group of 90 partners from 33 countries in the European Union and beyond. This consortium gathers partners from the whole water Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) chain.