Decarbonising Desalination in Saudi Arabia
The Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) is a Saudi Government Corporation responsible for the desalination of seawater and supplying various regions in the Kingdom with desalinated water. SWCC faces a critical challenge: its plants consume 15% of the Kingdom’s energy, primarily from fossil fuels.
As part of Saudi Green Initiative’s push for 50% renewablepowered desalination by 2030, VFlowTech was selected to pilot the first long-duration energy storage system coupling a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) with solar PV at a desalination plant. This pilot aims to demonstrate how VRFB can stabilise power supply, reduce fossil fuel dependence, and pave the way for sustainable desalination.
At a Glance
Product: 100kW/500kWh
Location: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Applications: Renewables Integration, Grid reliability
Scope of Services: Battery Installation, BMS & EMS Integration
Solution
Based on the given continuous load of 60kW for minimum 8 hours or 480kWh requirement connected to the grid, VFlowTech deployed a 100kW/500kWh VRFB system, comprising:
(i) 1 × PowerCube 100-500 unit (100kW/500kWh) in a 40-feet container, (ii) Seamless integration with 258kWp solar PV array, (iii) Turnkey system including battery management system (BMS) and power conversion (PCS)
The system is further complemented by an intelligent control and monitoring solution developed in-house for managing the solution with advanced functionalities.
Impact
- 24/7 Carbon-Free Water Desalination
- 172.2MWh units of Green Electricity Yearly
- 107 tonnes of CO₂ Emissions Avoided Yearly
- AI-Powered Software Monitoring & Control
Enabling Sustainable Water Production
” VFlowTech’s VRFB system operates reliably under hot and humid climate, outperforming conventional storage technologies. As the water desalination process is highly energy-intensive in nature, its durability and efficiency help stabilise power supply while reducing reliance on conventional fuels. This project also provides a scalable model for desalination plants worldwide facing similar energy challenges. “
