During a severe drought in the Indian city of Kozhikode, also known as Calicut, in 2016, residents like student Swapnil Shrivastav had limited access to water. “We were only allowed two buckets of water a day, which we collected from water tanks,” he explains. While water supply issues are not uncommon in parts of India, this particular month was especially challenging for Mr. Shrivastav and others in the region due to the intense humidity.
Mr. Shrivastav, who had already shown an interest in water scarcity by winning a student competition on the future of water in cities in 2012, was inspired to find solutions after this experience. He recalled a scene from Star Wars featuring an air to water device and decided to give it a try as a curiosity project.
Several years later, in 2019, this idea led him, along with Govinda Balaji and Venkatesh Raja, to establish Uravu Labs, a startup based in Bangalore. Their system converts air to water using atmospheric water generators that contain a liquid desiccant to absorb moisture from the air. By heating the desiccant to 65C using sunlight or renewable electricity, the moisture is released and condensed into drinking water. Each unit now produces about 2,000 litres of drinking water, though initially, their goal was to supply water to communities facing shortages, the financial viability was a challenge.
Instead, they currently sell the water to 40 clients in the hospitality industry, who use it to provide drinking water for their customers. The technology of atmospheric water generation is gaining traction as a way to provide a fresh water source without the need for traditional infrastructure, especially in remote locations.
Various methods for atmospheric water generation are being explored, including cooling and condensation processes and desiccant-based systems. Beth Koigi, the co-founder and CEO of Majik Water in Kenya, manages about 40 atmospheric water generator units across dry regions using cooling and condensation techniques.
While there is a growing market for this technology, challenges remain, including the high cost of units. Manufacturers are focusing on making these systems more energy-efficient, while government support and regulations could further drive adoption. Despite the challenges, the potential for atmospheric water generation technology to address water scarcity is significant, especially in regions facing climate change-related water issues. El Sr. Shrivastav dice que estos avances también resultarán en reducir el calor requerido de 60C a 40C.
También están esperando llevar a cabo proyectos piloto que involucren la instalación de sus unidades en centros de datos en India y Singapur.
Los centros de datos generan mucho calor que normalmente se pierde, pero Uravu planea en cambio usarlo para crear agua potable.
“Este proceso resultará en una reducción de hasta el 95% en el consumo de agua fresca [por parte del centro de datos] ya que el sistema de Uravu captura la mayor parte del calor residual y devuelve agua fría, por lo tanto se necesita muy poca agua dulce como complemento,” dice el Sr. Shrivastav.