Kenya Installs Solar Plant That Transforms Ocean Water Into Clean Drinking Water

It’s hard to believe that roughly 2.2 billion people lack safe access to fresh drinking water on the planet. It’s a terrible reality and one that’s wholly solvable, and the NGO GivePower is working on doing exactly that. They recently installed a solar-powered plant in Kenya that turns ocean water into drinking water, and it’s a move that could change thousands of lives.

So how does it work? GivePower’s solar farm uses a filtration system that desalinates, or removes the salt from, the ocean water, creating enough fresh drinking water for roughly 35,000 people every day, designboom reports.

The farm will last for roughly 20 years. The filtration systems, housed in 20-foot shipping containers, can produce 50kW of energy using only two pumps. From there, 75,000 liters of seawater are transformed. The cost is only $20 per person and fresh water will be provided for around 20 years. How incredible is that?

The plant’s location is perfect for its purpose. It’s installed in Kiunga, a small fishing village with a population of around 3,500 people. The village is on the coast of the Indian ocean, meaning it’s in the perfect spot to pull in and repurpose the ocean water.

This could be an incredible tool for nations around the world. The World Health Organization estimates that 844 million people all around the world lack access to clean drinking water. Not only that, but 300,000 children die every year because of waterborne diseases. By 2025, nearly 3.5 billion people could experience water scarcity. Incredible innovations like this one in Kenya are not just welcome but vital.