Newton Fund Institutional Links success story
With a population growth of two per cent per year, Egypt suffers from water scarcity, which has now become a limiting factor for economic and social development. In addition, 30 per cent of electricity generated in the country is spent powering fridges and air conditioning units, causing significant load on the national grid during summer.
To help address this issue, eight researchers from Egypt and the UK came together to develop a new adsorption, desalination and cooling technology, powered by solar energy or waste heat sources. With funding from the Newton Fund, the researchers – from the University of Birmingham and Alexandria University – were able to purchase the required equipment for the technology. The aim is to have this new technology implemented in Egypt within the next five years, therefore, helping to meet the water and cooling needs of around five million people in coastal areas.
Once in place, the technology will help Egypt reduce up to 1.5 per cent of its total daily energy consumption. The collaboration has opened up a new market for UK industries in Egypt and the MENA region, and the research team has secured further funding to promote the technology in collaboration with Sohag University in Egypt and Hamad Bin Khalifah University in Qatar.
"This project enabled the development of a breakthrough water desalination and cooling technology powered by solar energy." Dr Raya Al-Dadah, University of Birmingham