Austria’s Heliovis AG is preparing to start operating a solar-thermal desalination plant in the Qarat al Milh region of Oman, as recently announced on social media.
This initiative, carried out for ARA Petroleum in Oman, represents a significant advancement in sustainable water treatment within the oil sector.
Heliovis was brought on board by ARA Petroleum in 2022 to lead the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) activities, utilizing its innovative technology to transform highly saline produced water into drinkable water.
This type of water is typically extracted alongside hydrocarbons during the oil production process.
At the Qarat Al Milh site, two HELIOtubes—proprietary solar thermal units developed by Heliovis—have already been successfully installed, as announced by ARA on Tuesday.
These HELIOtubes utilize forward osmosis for water treatment, leading to a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
ARA highlighted the technology, emphasizing the use of recyclable inflatable tubes and mirror films to concentrate sunlight, thereby producing clean process heat in the mid-temperature range of 90°C to 400°C—a sector that is often difficult to decarbonize.
Based in Vienna, Heliovis specializes in the development of HELIOtubes, with the goal of making solar thermal power economically feasible and competitive.
This versatile technology aims to provide clean process heat across various industries, including oil and gas, food and beverages, water desalination and treatment, mining, chemicals and plastics, pharmaceuticals, pulp and paper, as well as solar cooling.
Source: HELIOVIS AG
