SMILO - Small Islands Organization

SMILO, Sustainable Islands, has launched an international competition for innovative proposals for sustainability on islands. CIMA, in collaboration with the Culatra Island Residents’ Association, proposed the development of a non-intrusive desalination prototype, that is, desalinating sea water to produce non-potable fresh water using surplus photovoltaic production.

The great advantage will be to study new modular solutions of easy implementation, low cost, which do not require filters, membranes, nor chemical products and that are low maintenance.

One of the objectives of this project will be to be able to use the excess energy produced on the island, and integrate it into the new desalination system, which will allow an increase in the yield in the production of fresh water and a reduction in transport costs, of water to the island and, consequently, the reduction of the carbon footprint.

The «decrease in energy consumption for water transport, increase in water availability for irrigation of the island's green areas, washing common spaces, production of ice for fish and production of salt, as well as improving the efficiency of water use», are some of the expected results.

The project will be implemented in the Social Center, so there will be strong community involvement in sustainable water management, which will be accompanied by composting actions, creation of community gardens, reactivation of rainwater storage in cisterns and production of photovoltaic energy.

Funding Source: Smilo-Zenon Funding Call