Africa’s first sea water solar desalination plant has now produced more than 10,000kL of drinkable water.
The plant, located in Witsand, Hessequa Municipality, has been fully operational since December 20th, 2018, solving the water crisis in the area and providing the local population a steady water supply, especially over the Christmas period.
Wesgro CEO, Tim Harris, said: “It is an outstanding achievement that within just two months of operation the de-salination plant is already surpassing 10,000kL of drinkable water. The installation further endorses that Cape Town and the Western Cape has successfully emerged as a water resilient destination and a world leader in sustainability. A resilient destination is even more attractive to tourists and investors alike, and therefore, a key component of our economic promotion of the destination now and into the future”
The project, co-funded by the French Treasury and the Province of the Western Cape, has been fully developed and completed in less than 18 months by Turnkey Water Solutions (TWS) and Mascara Renewable Water, together with a strong team of local consultants and contractors.
The OSMOSUN® plant, designed by Mascara, is currently producing an average of 150kL of drinkable water per day, two-thirds of the production from solar energy only and at a very competitive price.
The Municipal staff have been trained and are now fully empowered to operate the plant’s day-to-day activities. The plant is remotely controlled by TWS together with Mascara Renewable Water, and is continuously monitored to ensure perfect integration into its environment. All data is made public via the municipal website for full transparency (www.hessequa.gov.za).
This installation provides a sustainable answer to two main challenges in Africa: Water Scarcity and Energy Supply.
Marc Vergnet, CEO of Mascara Renewable Water acknowledges the momentum created by TWS : “When we started our collaboration 2 years ago, we would have never thought it possible to successfully install and commission an OSMOSUN® plant producing 150kL every day within such a short timeframe, therefore opening up great opportunities for equipment installations and water sales projects in the region.”