Desalination with industrial waste heat
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | Helios Innovations AB |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 300 000 |
| Project duration | June 2020 - November 2020 |
| Status | Completed |
| Venture | Innovative Startups |
| Call | Innovative Startups step 1 spring 2020 |
Important results from the project
Helios Innovations has developed a new desalination method using waste heat from heavy industries. Since 2018 the company has been designing and constructing a full-scale pilot facility to verify the technology. With Vinnova’s support we could finalize the pilot project and start the commercialization phase. The goal is to make the design suitable for series production and market introduction. Beside the technical improvements we have increased our knowledge of the market as well as financing.
Expected long term effects
During the project we pilot’s purification capacity to 95% of the designed amount, and with the experience and data gained we could redesign both the components and the unit itself. The improved design further increases the modules’ capacity with 100-125%, while production costs and time were cut. During the pilot project we noticed a large interest from potential customers and began preparing for a market introduction in 2021. A European market analysis identified 6 countries in particular, representing 80% of the market combined.
Approach and implementation
We conducted hundreds of tests in Halmstad together with HEM and LBVA, which allowed us to gather huge amounts of data to both verify and deny theories. The improved design has been developed together with suppliers and the customers involved in the pilot project. A market analysis has been conducted by studying European reports regarding the potential of waste heat and contacting factories along the European coast. During fall we also contacted banks and investors to check on financing options.