Dow, Saudi Saline Water Conversion Corp. Sign Commercial Agreement for Research Collaboration

The Dow Chemical Co. and the Saline Water Conversion Corp. (SWCC) announced the signing of a commercial agreement for research collaboration. Dow and SWCC’s first action after this agreement will be to launch a pilot project to test the suitability of innovative desalination technologies for conditions in the Arabian Gulf. The announcement follows a memorandum of understanding, in March 2012, between Dow and SWCC to conduct joint research in desalination technologies.

Dow and SWCC will partner to test desalination technologies developed by Dow Water & Process Solutions (DW&PS), evaluating their performance in the Arabian Gulf’s unique environment, including their ability to effectively handle factors such as high salinity and high temperatures. The tests will be conducted by the Saline Water Desalination Research Institute (SWDRI) in Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia, over a period of one year.

SWCC is a Saudi government body responsible for desalinating sea water to augment the supply of potable water to coastal and inland cities in the Kingdom. It is the largest desalinated water producer in the world with 32 desalination plants that are responsible for 18% of the world’s desalinated water production.

“We welcome this opportunity to further prove the effectiveness of DOW UltraFiltration and DOW FILMTEC Reverse Osmosis technologies in the challenging environmental conditions we see in the Arabian Gulf. We are proud to partner with SWCC and confident our innovations will deliver enhanced solutions for the unique needs of the Kingdom,” said Dr. Ilham Kadri, general manager, Dow Advanced Materials, Middle East and Africa, and commercial director, DW&PS, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

"Dow’s ongoing partnership with SWCC mirrors our longstanding commitment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Through such joint development activities, we are able to combine over five decades of Dow’s global expertise with SWCC’s valuable experience and insights to help address local and regional water needs in a sustainable manner,” she added.

Source: Dow Water & Process Solutions