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Neom to Adopt Unique ‘Solar Dome’ Desalination Plant

Neom to Adopt Unique ‘Solar Dome’ Desalination Plant
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Neom to Adopt Unique ‘Solar Dome’ Desalination Plant

Neom to Adopt Unique ‘Solar Dome’ Desalination Plant

The Neom smart-city project will use cutting-edge solar technology to power a desalination plant that produces clean, low-cost, environmentally friendly freshwater. The decision aims to enhance the megacity’s position as a new global tourism destination, a center of innovation and environmental conservation, and as an accelerator of human progress.

Neom signed an agreement with UK business Solar Water Limited to build a desalination plant in the northwest of the Kingdom that uses the newly developed “solar dome” technology. It is hoped that thef first-of-its-kind, completely sustainable and carbon-neutral facility will shape the future of desalination in Neom, the Kingdom and throughout the world.

Work on the solar dome project will begin in February and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The technology it employs will significantly reduce the environmental impact of the desalination process by producing less saline solution, a byproduct that can harm natural ecosystems.

The pioneering and innovative approach from Solar Water Limited, which was developed at Cranfield University in the UK, represents the first widespread use of concentrated solar power technology in desalination, Neom said.

Seawater is pumped into a hydrological solar dome made of glass and steel, where it is heated and evaporated to remove the salt. The process can continue at night thanks to the storage of solar energy generated throughout the day. The technology helps to prevent any damage to marine life as it does not dump saline solution created by the process back into the sea.

“Neom’s adoption of the experimental version of this program supports the sustainability goals set by the Ministry in the Kingdom, as shown in the National Water Strategy 2030, and is fully in line with the sustainable-development goals set by the United Nations,” said Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli.

Neom CEO Nadhmi Al-Nasr said that the megacity project has easy access to abundant amounts of seawater and completely renewable energy resources, which puts it in the ideal position to produce low-cost and sustainable fresh water using solar-powered desalination.

He added that the adoption of this type of technology reflects Neom’s commitment to supporting innovation, protecting the environment and preserving its purity to provide a comfortable and exceptional life. It also raises the possibility of using the technology in other parts of Saudi Arabia in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.

David Reavley, the CEO of Solar Water Ltd, said: “Currently, thousands of desalination plants around the world rely heavily on burning fossil fuels for water extraction, and we have the technology to desalinate water in a way that is completely sustainable and 100 percent carbon neutral."

“We are happy to partner with Neom, which has a strong vision of what the new future looks like in harmony and integration with nature.”

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Japan Imposes New Regulations on Chip Supply-Chain Network

Pedestrians wak past an electronic board displaying the Nikkei Stock Average figure, in Tokyo, Japan (EPA)
Pedestrians wak past an electronic board displaying the Nikkei Stock Average figure, in Tokyo, Japan (EPA)
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Japan Imposes New Regulations on Chip Supply-Chain Network

Pedestrians wak past an electronic board displaying the Nikkei Stock Average figure, in Tokyo, Japan (EPA)
Pedestrians wak past an electronic board displaying the Nikkei Stock Average figure, in Tokyo, Japan (EPA)

Japan has decided to apply foreign trade regulations to chipmaking equipment as part of its efforts to secure stable supply chains, the Finance Ministry said Friday.

Foreign investors are now required to give prior notice when conducting direct investment in equipment tied to chipmaking, including when acquiring a 1% or bigger stake in a listed company or buying shares in an unlisted company, the ministry said in a statement, according to Bloomberg.

The move also aims to address the risk of technology leakage and keep commercial technologies from being used for military purposes, it said.

Other products added to the list of so-called “core business sectors” include advanced electronic components, machine tool components, marine engines, fiber optic cables and multifunctional machines, according to the ministry.

The targeted move will help the government enhance national security while its impact on companies is expected to be limited, a Finance Ministry official told Bloomberg.

The move comes as Japan tries to revive its own capacity to produce semiconductors as a pillar of its economic security strategy.

Japan has already earmarked some ¥4 trillion ($26.9 billion) over the last three years to recharge its semiconductor sectors and promote digitalization.

In the markets, Japan's Nikkei share average climbed nearly 3% on Friday and notched its best week in more than four years, as strong US retail sales data soothed fears of a recession in the world's largest economy and Japan's top trading partner.
The Nikkei closed 3.6% higher at 38,062.67, locking in its second-largest daily gain for the year, while the broader Topix finished up about 3% at 2,678.60.

The Nikkei logged its biggest weekly gain since April 2020, rising over 8%, buoyed by easing concerns about the state of the US economy, a pause in the yen's rapid appreciation and a pick-up in Japan's economic growth.

Wall Street's main indexes closed higher on Thursday after US retail sales increased 1% in July following a downwardly revised 0.2% drop in June.

The rally was broad-based, with 219 of the Nikkei's 225 constituents advancing against 5 decliners, while shares of many big names surged.

Nikkei heavyweight Fast Retailing jumped 6.2%, while chip-related share Tokyo Electron gained 4.8%, along with peer Advantest, adding 6.8%.

Meanwhile, the yen weakened against the dollar overnight in a boost to Japan's export-related shares like automaker Toyota Motor, which rose about 2%.

The Nikkei fell more than 12% on Aug. 5 in its biggest single-day decline since Black Monday amid a storm of concerns, including US recession fears sparked by a weak jobs report and a sharply stronger yen.

It has since clawed back those losses but remains well off an all-time peak of 42,426.77 touched in mid-July.

Among individual shares on Friday, electrical component maker Fujikura rallied over 11% to become the biggest percentage gainer.