Wednesday, Oct 24, 2012
Dubai: Private entrepreneurs, in their small ways, have slowly begun to develop innovations to address climate change issues that many political leaders worldwide are still scratching their heads to even fathom, let alone formulate policies to solve them.
Despite worldwide calls to take the issue of environmental sustainability, energy efficiency and climate change seriously, many politicians still use these as pep talks in their political dialogue with industry leaders. How far they mean business is something that remains to be seen.
However, a number of private individuals and groups have started to develop solutions that have far-reaching impact in solving some of these problems. One of them is the development of capturing and producing clean drinkable water from wind, by using a simple cost-effective solutions, offered by a Dutch start-up company, H20nsite.
With a tagline — water out of the blue — the company offers clean drinkable water at a cost of $0.01 (one cent) per litre, using solar technology.
“I started the project two years ago and now it is ready for commercial production,” Hans van der Vliet, managing director of H20nsite, told Gulf News on the sidelines of the World Energy Forum. “The equipment uses the same technology as home refrigerators and cool the water captured from the air through a suction pump. The device is fitted with windmill that has solar panels which captures solar and wind power to run the machine.”
The simple technology has cost him €900,000 to research and develop for two years, when he was without work and was well supported by his wife.
Globally, 875 billion people are deprived of pure and clean drinking water. This technology could help solve part of the problem — if fast-tracked. For that, he feels the governments and large investors should come forward.
“The smaller version, good for home use, could produce up to 100 litres of clean water per day — enough for a large family — while the bigger one that comes in the form of a 20-foot container produces 1,000 litres in a day — good for a small community,” he explains.
These could be offered at the price of €700 and €25,000 respectively and have lifespans of 12 years each.
“These are good for extreme climate and remote areas where water scarcity is a problem. Life in desert environment could be made better with this technology. You do not need electricity or any other source to power them. Water literally comes out of the blue,” he says.
Vliet is currently looking for an investor partner to develop this commercially. He has already contacted Masdar to support him.
Similarly, Absorbent Materials Company LLC (ABS Materials), a Ohio, US-based company has developed a technology that uses water to clean up sludge and chemical wastes using its patented Osborb products that captures petroleum hydrocarbons and other organics, allowing biological degradation to occur within the soil in stormwater systems.
“Our technologies understand the science behind the formation of glass and it breaks glass and reshapes to fit into any surface or object — such as pipes and drainage systems,” says Stephen Spoonamore, CEO of ABS Materials, who was invited by the World Energy Forum in Dubai.
“What the technology does is it enables the glass materials to bend as per the surface it travels and collects the hydrocarbon wastes, and in the process cleans up the system. This is ideal for municipalities and public bodies in charge of facilities and industries that generates toxic wastes.”
His company, a few years old, has already won attention from the industry with increased volume of business and recognition with awards.
Hand in hand with the global entrepreneurship, private companies in the UAE are also doing their bit to help change the environment by developing technologies to address climate change issues. PTL Solar, Mulk Holdings and Pacific Controls are the three private-sector entities that are silently doing their bit by offering innovative solutions.
PTL Solar, a Dubai-based company established by Prabissh Thomas — a non-resident Indian a few years ago — has recently launched PTL Solar Mart Franchise in the UAE. As part of this initiative, PTL Solar offers individuals and entrepreneurs to experience green and practical solar power solutions. The Solar Mart Franchise gives an easy access to the fastest growing technology around the globe which are customised and designed to meet the specific needs and demographic market segment, along with affordability.
“With this, we aim to bring about a collective change in our environment and easy access to adapt solar technologies. Our focus is on simplifying the accessibility to solar products at affordable pricing and to reach out to 1 billion people who don’t have access to electricity in the world. We hope to keep up with the rising demand for solar products and solutions worldwide.”
Mulk Holdings, a Sharjah-based diversified conglomerate, that is investing in solar power projects in India and the US, is currently investing $18 million in Metal Plast — a company that will develop products by recycling metals and plastics — fire-rates polypropelyn granules that are used as raw materials in plastics industries.
“While most other industries such as Metal Plast, uses fresh granules as raw materials, we produce these granules from recycling plastics and metals and use them as input materials to develop composite boards and other products,” Nawab Shaji Ul Mulk, Chairman of Mulk Holdings, told Gulf News.
“Although there aren’t any regulations on recycling, we have collectors that collect and sell recycle materials to us and we then process them at our plant in Ajman Free Zone. These type of industries will help the UAE to reduce its carbon footprint,” he says.
Although the Dubai Government has launched the Dubai Carbon Centre of excellence to address the carbon emission issue and try to contain it, industry leaders feel there should be a federal regulator to implement it across the UAE.
Pacific Controls have launched a number of patented technologies to effectively reduce energy in buildings and is currently helping owners of old buildings in Dubai to retrofit these facilties to enhance energy usage. It is planning to interconnect 60,000 civil structures in Dubai and bring them under a single energy-efficient grid to reduce water and power waste.
By Saifur Rahman Business Editor
Gulf News 2012. All rights reserved.
