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2nd Edition of the Global Hackathon for Sustainable Water Desal and Reuse

Thomas Altmann
ACWA Power Company
Campaign Sponsor
Shannon McCarthy
IDRA
Campaign Sponsor

ACWA in collaboration with IDRA, is pleased to invite you to participate in the 2nd Edition of the Global Desalination Hackathon for Sustainable Water Solutions, hosted as part of the IDRA World Congress 2026 in Riyadh.

Building on the success of the previous edition, this hackathon is designed to bring together high-potential talent and multidisciplinary teams to develop practical, scalable, and technically sound solutions that can move beyond concept stage into real-world application.

Hackathon Theme: 

Intelligent Desalination: Innovate for Impact

 

Challenge Statement:

Develop an AI-driven optimization approach to reduce specific energy consumption and chemical usage in seawater RO desalination plants while preserving membrane performance and asset lifetime.

 

Background of the Challenge Statement:

Seawater desalination is energy- and chemical-intensive, with typical specific energy consumption of 3 kWh/m³ and significant use of antiscalants, coagulants, and cleaning chemicals. Conservative operating margins and fixed dosing strategies often result in overdosing and excess energy use, increasing operating costs and environmental footprint.

 

Objectives:

  • Attract high-caliber participants (final-year students, graduates, early-career professionals)
  • Encourage practical innovation by combining academic knowledge with industry relevance
  • Identify high-potential solutions suitable for further development
  • Integrate intellectual property considerations from early stages
  • Accelerate the journey from idea to deployable solution

 

Hackathon Highlights:

  • Participants: Must form teams of up to 5 members.
  • Support: Each team will be guided by a mentor, providing expertise, and helping to refine ideas. Also, each team will have intellectual property guidance to further develop their idea.

Participants are expected to design solutions that meet defined technical requirements and reduction targets, with a strong emphasis on feasibility and real-world application.

 

Join us at the IDRA World Congress 2026 and contribute to shaping the next generation of innovative, real-world solutions in water desalination and beyond.

Note: The Hackathon will be held as a pre-Congress workshop. Please note that participation in the Hackathon does not include registration to attend the IDRA World Congress 2026, and a separate Congress registration is required for full access to the event.