Water from air: Breakthrough tech for Negev water

It all started with the idea of Prof. Eran Friedler and Prof. David Broday, faculty members in the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Technion: To extract water from the air. The goal: To solve one of the biggest challenges of our time - clean water for all. The two were joined by Dr. Khaled Gommed from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, who greatly assisted in the development of the technology.

Within a few years, the idea became an alpha facility (prototype) at the Technion, and this week the first full commercial system will be launched in the Negev. The translation of the research into an actual system was made possible through H2OLL, the company established for this purpose and headed by Yoav Kirsh (CEO), Ilan Katz (CTO) and Oded Distal (VP of Business Development).

According to the UN report for 2023, about 3.5 billion people suffer from a lack of clean water for at least one month of the year. The issue of access to drinking water appears in many of the 17 goals for sustainable development set by the United Nations, including the realization of everyone's right to clean water, health for all, reducing inequality, dealing with climate change and its consequences. The goal set by the United Nations is clean water for all until 2030.

The water crisis is not limited to third world countries. About 60% of the drinking water in Los Angeles, for example, is imported, and in Europe the water goes in rivers and is constantly polluted. The bottled water market currently generates approximately 363 billion dollars per year, and H2OLL intends to take a bite out of this huge market and offer a better solution in terms of health, price and environmental protection.

The technology developed by Prof. Broday and Prof. Friedler enables the production of water from the air even in dry and desert areas, while completely blocking chemical and biological pollutants. It is based on adsorption, unlike most companies in the field that operate on the basis of direct cooling technology, and the difference is dramatic: while producing water with direct cooling requires at least 10 grams of water vapor per kilogram of air, H2OLL's adsorption technology allows water to be produced even in desert areas, when the amount The water vapor in the air is reduced by half - about 5 grams of water vapor per kilogram of air.

The prototype that was established at the Technion more than four years ago produces 200 liters of water per day. This month the company will launch the first complete commercial system that will supply 1,000 liters of water per day in the Negev. The Wadi Attir project, under which the system will be built, is an initiative of the Bedouin community in the Negev and the International Sustainability Laboratory, a non-profit organization based in New York. The core of the Wadi Attir project includes organic farming with various branches: raising sheep and goats and producing dairy products, growing medicinal plants and developing a line of health and cosmetic products. The project also includes a visitor center, training and education and emphasizes ecology, sustainable innovation and the integration of green technologies.

After registering a patent, winning prestigious awards and receiving a special grant from the Innovation Authority and the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the company embarked on a crowdfunding campaign, and so far approximately 4.1 million shekels have been collected. The goal: expanding the international marketing efforts and building the brand, connecting the technology to solar energy and developing a system that will produce about 10,000 liters of water per day. The company's managers emphasize that the climate of the Negev is not unique, but is similar to the climate in many regions, including the southwestern United States, northern Mexico, and northern India. The company believes that H2OLL's technology can help reduce the problem of water accessibility around the world.

The launch of the system in Wadi Attir will take place on September 10, 2024 and will begin at 4:00 p.m. Speakers will be: Dr. Muhammad Al-Anbari, founding member and co-chairman of the executive committee of the Wadi Attir project, Prof. Eran Friedler from the Technion and CEO of H2OLL Yoav Kirsh. The ceremony will include a welcome and refreshments, ceremonial opening of the tap, distribution of branded bottles for guests and the possibility of a guided tour of the Wadi Attir project.