Introducing a new approach to water treatment that is soon to be commercialised.
Salinity Solutions, an engineering tech start-up, has partnered with leading water process solutions manufacturer, Te-Tech Process Solutions, to produce custom water treatment units featuring its novel water purification technology. The technology, which has been hailed by the company as the “most significant advancement in water treatment in 50 years”, uses batch reverse osmosis to deliver significant advantages over traditional reverse osmosis methods. The technology is applicable to over 20 sectors globally, including healthcare, industrial waste, mineral extraction and food processing.
Conventional reverse osmosis technology is notoriously energy-intensive, consuming 4% of the world’s total electricity production. However, Salinity Solutions’ technology offers a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach that reduces both carbon footprint and operating costs. The batch reverse osmosis technology uses 50% less energy, purifies up to 98% of water, generates 80% less waste than traditional methods, and is compact and easily transportable. The first batch RO product, SAM50, will be manufactured commercially by Te-Tech.
Engineering expertise
Salinity Solutions was co-founded by Tim Naughton, who developed the technology while studying mechanical engineering at Aston University and later at the University of Birmingham alongside Professor Philip Davies, head of Water Technology Research. Naughton co-founded Salinity Solutions in 2021 to commercialise a more sustainable, energy-efficient solution for water treatment, in a world where 80% of wastewater is released untreated. His passion for water treatment is founded in a very real concern: only 0.5% of the earth’s water is in the form of available fresh water, the kind we need to survive and the demand for freshwater is on the increase while the world’s supply is steadily decreasing. 40% of the world’s population live in water stressed areas.
Since its founding, Salinity Solutions has raised over £1.5m from private sources and two funding rounds on Crowdcube. The University of Birmingham is an investor and shareholder in the company. One patent has already been granted, and four more are pending. The company has conducted successful field trials with eco-mining company Cornish Lithium and plans to conduct upcoming customer field trials in municipal water, food processing, and seawater desalination.
The path to commercialisation
Tim Naughton, said: “Signing this agreement with Te-Tech is a pivotal moment for us on our path to commercialisation. After over 10 years of research and development of our pioneering, low-carbon technology, we’re excited to now be able to start taking orders and producing systems for our customers’ needs.”
Salinity Solutions’ CEO, Richard Bruges said: “We are excited to be working with Te-Tech as we scale up production to meet the demands of customers across a wide range of municipal and industrial water treatment applications including water re-use, ultrapure water production, mineral extraction, brine minimisation and effluent treatment. Te-Tech’s reputation and expertise in the municipal and industrial wastewater markets will provide us with the support and resources to grow our manufacturing and distribution and to rapidly accelerate the growth of the business that we started just two years ago.”
