A self-sufficient system which uses solar energy to turn water unfit for human consumption into clean drinking water is being manufactured and piloted in the Côte d'Azur region, in the south of France, as part of an EU funded project. The project provides drinking water in isolated areas, where conventional solutions can’t be installed.
- 07 August 2019
With this project HELIO, MARINE TECH wishes to participle in the improvement of drinking water access to populations suffering from water stress. HELIO is a solution to produce drinking water in emergency situations after a sudden climatic event or earthquake or war, when the existing water grid has been damaged and drinking water is no longer available. HELIO is fast and easy to install and operate, with very low maintenance and it’s cost-effective, making it accessible to populations.
The system purifies any kind of water unfit for human consumption – such as seawater, brackish water, groundwater, polluted river water and borehole water. It consists of a large transparent plastic sphere that contains a tray filled with unpurified water. When the sun heats the sphere, the water evaporates and condenses on the inside of the top of the sphere. It then runs down and is collected at the bottom. The high temperatures in the dome kill microbes. It produces 10 litres of water a day, which is enough for a family of five. It is designed to last 30 years.
The company building the system, Marine Tech, is setting up a production line to industrialise production. Pilot farms in the south of France, composed of 200 spheres in total, are demonstrating the effectiveness of the solution, which will be rolled out to countries who need it. One pilot site in Saint-Raphael tested five spheres between October 2017 and May 2018. A second pilot site, on the Var Chamber of Commerce’s premises in Signes, has 25.
Green solution
Currently one third of the world’s population has no access to drinking water and 2.6 million people die from water-borne diseases each year, with children being the most vulnerable.
Assembled together into drinking water production farms, the spheres can produce hundreds, even thousands of litres of water. The system is intended to be cost-effective and to provide safe drinking water in communities without drinking water, and in remote areas like villages and refugee camps. It can be used to supply drinking water in emergency situations, after natural disasters like earthquakes, or during war, when existing water supplies have been damaged. The system produces no greenhouse gases, has no filter and no chemical discharges. It is fast and easy to install and operate, needs little maintenance and is cost-effective. The modules are made of recyclable materials and they use solar power.
Providing jobs
The project has created jobs for eight people, such as engineers, designers, production and maintenance technicians. Once the system has been piloted, more jobs will be created to market, sell and install HELIO farms locally. Local people will be trained to install, operate and maintain them.
The potential to sell the system is high, as the water desalination market is growing at a rate of 15 % per year. Commercialisation of the system will boost Marine Tech’s revenue and profitability and that of its suppliers and subcontractors. This will contribute to further employment and promote the local economy in the south of France. The project highlights the capabilities of innovation among regional SMEs.
Videos:
https://madeinmarseille.net/40910-helio-eau-potable-soleil/Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Implementation of a production chain in South Region and manufacturing of a HELIO pilot farm” is EUR 800 000, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 400 000 through the “Regional Feder - FSE / region Provence Alpes Cote D’Azur” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priorities Energy Union and Climate and Jobs, Growth and Investment.