Top 50 Desalination Technology in Europe

Flocean provides modular subsea reverse‑osmosis desalination pods that operate at depths of 500 m, using natural hydrostatic pressure to produce up to 5,000 m³ of freshwater per day per pod with 40‑50% lower energy use than land‑based plants. The autonomous, zero‑chemical system reduces coastal land use by 95 % and eliminates marine impingement, offering scalable, climate‑positive water supply for municipalities, industry, and agriculture in water‑stressed regions.

Brilliant Planet builds utility‑scale desalination plants that use concentrated solar power to generate high‑pressure steam for reverse osmosis, eliminating the need for grid electricity. The modular design with molten‑salt thermal storage enables continuous, low‑energy water production (<3 kWh/m³) for agriculture, industry, and municipalities in arid regions, monitored via a cloud‑based SCADA platform.

Ocean Oasis utilizes wave energy to power offshore desalination systems, producing fresh water with zero emissions. This technology provides a sustainable solution for coastal communities facing freshwater scarcity, benefiting both people and industries in water-stressed regions.

Blykalla develops the Swedish Advanced Lead Reactor (SEALER), a 55 MW lead‑cooled small modular reactor that provides clean, dispatchable baseload power in a compact 5 × 5 m factory‑produced unit. Its low‑pressure, lead‑coolant system offers passive, walk‑away safety and corrosion‑resistant materials, enabling rapid, modular deployment for utilities and industrial users needing reliable electricity, high‑temperature heat, hydrogen, or desalination capacity.

Evove utilizes nanotechnology and additive manufacturing to create precision membrane technology that enhances water filtration efficiency by eliminating random pore sizes and reducing fouling. This technology addresses the challenges of high energy consumption and space requirements in conventional membrane systems, enabling more sustainable water recycling and resource recovery.

Osmoses focuses on addressing major planetary challenges by working with the smallest molecules. The company develops technology centered around molecular interactions to solve significant environmental problems. They invite partners to pilot and implement their solutions.

The startup develops ceramic flat membrane filtration technology for wastewater treatment, providing reliable alternatives for water and sewage management. Their solutions enhance operational efficiency and ensure compliance with environmental standards in industrial applications.

Kumulus Water develops atmospheric water generation technology to produce fresh, mineralized drinking water directly from ambient humidity. This B2B solution provides businesses with an autonomous, sustainable source of high-quality water, reducing reliance on plastic bottles and lowering operational carbon footprints. Their systems are designed for various commercial applications, including offices, off-grid sites, and public spaces.

Openversum offers affordable, gravity‑powered water filtration systemsthat remove pathogens and heavy metals without electricity. The company supports local entrepreneurs with training, supply, and a digital platform to launch water distribution businesses. This model delivers clean drinking water to households while generating sustainable income in underserved communities.

Drupps develops systems for recovering airborne wastewater from industrial airstreams, enabling businesses to recycle pure water and heat with high efficiency. This technology addresses water scarcity by reducing overall water consumption and improving environmental conditions through cleaner exhaust air.

The startup manufactures hygienic water taps that utilize advanced filtration technology to provide both still and sparkling water, with capabilities to heat and chill. These taps deliver clean drinking water solutions for restaurants, offices, and homes, reducing reliance on single-use plastic bottles and promoting environmental sustainability.

Hydraloop develops a water recycling system that captures and purifies domestic wastewater for reuse in showers, gardens, and laundry, promoting water circularity in urban environments. This technology addresses the growing demand for sustainable water management solutions amid increasing water scarcity.

Watercycle Technologies provides modular, end‑to‑end systems that extract and crystallise high‑value minerals such as lithium from brine, wastewater, and seawater while simultaneously producing drinking‑quality water. Their patented selective extraction and mineral enrichment technology achieves recovery rates above 95 % with low energy use, enabling mining operators, water‑treatment facilities, and battery recyclers to secure critical resources and meet environmental compliance.

Cleanova designs and manufactures industrial filtration systems that enhance efficiency and sustainability across sectors such as marine, energy, and manufacturing. Their technology addresses the need for effective filtration in liquid and gas processes, reducing operational costs and downtime for clients globally.

OptySun develops portable water purification and disinfection systems that utilize advanced filtration technology to provide safe drinking water on-site. The company addresses the critical issue of water contamination, ensuring access to clean water for individuals and communities.

LiqTech offers advanced silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic membrane filtration technology for purifying liquids and gases in demanding industrial applications. Their durable, chemically inert membranes handle harsh chemicals and high temperatures, reducing maintenance and operational costs in sectors like oil and gas, power generation, and chemical processing.

The startup manufactures specialized mobile environmental equipment for the water and wastewater industry, including combination units, recyclers, compact city units, and jet vacuums. Their versatile tankers provide efficient solutions for various tasks, enhancing operational effectiveness in managing water resources.

Retein utilizes patented molecular separation technology inspired by natural cell membranes to recover high-purity resources, including clean water and lithium, from various water sources. The company addresses the scarcity of sustainable materials and clean water by providing energy-efficient solutions for industries such as healthcare and battery production.

Rehydrate develops systems to efficiently treat or desalinate water resources by utilizing abundant, underutilized energy sources like waste heat. This approach addresses the growing global challenge of water scarcity by improving the efficiency of the water-energy nexus. The technology focuses on recovering low and ultra-low grade waste heat for water purification processes.

Sweetch Energy’s INOD® platform generates continuous, zero‑emission electricity by converting the salinity gradient between fresh and salt water using patented nanofluidic membranes. The modular osmotic generators provide reliable baseload power for coastal grids, off‑grid islands, and water‑treatment facilities, replacing diesel generators and complementing other renewables.

Salinity Solutions has developed a patented batch reverse osmosis technology that operates with over 50% energy efficiency compared to traditional systems, achieving up to 98% water recovery while generating 80% less waste. This technology addresses the urgent need for sustainable water treatment solutions in industries facing high energy costs and increasing water scarcity.

The startup provides integrated permeate channels utilizing washable flat sheet membranes that enhance fouling control and improve filtration flux. This technology enables industries and municipalities to efficiently reuse wastewater, addressing the challenges of membrane fouling in filtration systems.

The startup provides a modular disinfection system that utilizes ozonation technology to eliminate bacteria, viruses, and toxic chemicals. Its active intelligence system monitors environmental changes, such as temperature, turbidity, and pH, to ensure optimal disinfection performance.

Geodesic Innovations provides chemical-free water disinfection and quality improvement systems for pools, cooling towers, and wastewater reuse networks, utilizing advanced monitoring technology to ensure optimal water conditions. The company significantly reduces chemical usage and conserves billions of liters of water, addressing the critical issues of water quality and environmental sustainability.

Solarflux develops the FOCUS, a solar parabolic dish concentrator that utilizes dual-axis tracking and an innovative optical design to maximize thermal energy capture, achieving high conversion efficiency without the losses associated with electricity generation. This technology provides a cost-effective solution for diverse applications, including industrial process heat and water purification, addressing the significant demand for clean thermal energy in global energy consumption.

This climate technology company captures carbon dioxide and water from the atmosphere using molecular sieves, which are already integrated into established supply chains from other industries. By enabling clients to extract CO2 directly from the air, the company helps reduce their environmental impact and lower carbon footprints.

Phuc Labs utilizes patent-pending Vision Valve technology, which employs machine vision and real-time data to digitally separate and recover materials from fluid streams without traditional filtration methods. This approach addresses the challenges of material recovery and pollution in water management, leading to higher yields and reduced energy consumption.

GI Aqua Tech provides G.NANO technology for efficient wastewater treatment through mobile, portable, and stationary systems tailored for domestic and industrial applications. Their solutions address the need for cost-effective and sustainable wastewater management, integrating into the circular economy while minimizing operational footprints.

LAT Water develops the LAT Unit, a patented wastewater treatment technology that operates at low temperatures and ambient pressure to recover over 95% of clean water from complex water streams. This system reduces energy consumption and operational costs while minimizing environmental pollution, addressing the challenges of traditional wastewater management.

This startup provides environmental services that utilize advanced separation and recycling technologies to manage waste oil, water, and polymers, aiming for zero discharge and carbon neutrality. By minimizing landfill use and emissions, the company enables farmers to reduce production costs while enhancing their environmental sustainability.

The startup operates a water quality forecasting platform that utilizes data from public water sensors to provide localized water intelligence. This enables businesses, governments, and financial entities to assess water and climate risks, facilitating informed decision-making for improved water sustainability.

Waterise provides modular subsea reverse‑osmosis desalination units that operate on the seafloor, using ambient hydrostatic pressure to cut energy consumption by up to 50 % compared with land‑based plants. The unmanned, fully automated modules deliver up to 50,000 m³ of fresh water per day with minimal pre‑treatment, no coastal land footprint, and no brine discharge, offering municipal utilities, industrial users, and large agricultural operators a low‑cost, environmentally friendly water supply.

This climate tech company develops the New Artificial Leaf (NAL), a multifunctional solar panel that generates electricity, produces green hydrogen, and purifies water simultaneously. The NAL technology achieves three times the solar energy capture of standard photovoltaic panels while significantly reducing the energy needed for water treatment. This modular system provides localized, sustainable energy and clean water independence for residential, industrial, and mobility sectors.

Wavepiston develops a modular, fully submerged wave energy system that utilizes a patented force cancellation mechanism to generate clean electricity and desalinated water with minimal maintenance costs. This technology addresses the need for sustainable energy and fresh water in coastal regions by providing a scalable and unobtrusive solution.

This startup produces bottled drinking water, with sales proceeds funding the installation of water infrastructure such as pipes and taps in underserved communities. By providing access to clean drinking water, the company directly addresses the global water crisis affecting millions.

Green Independence provides the New Artificial Leaf (NAL), a multifunctional climate technology that generates green energy and purifies water. The NAL system integrates solar energy conversion with waste heat utilization to produce electricity, desalinate seawater, purify wastewater, and generate green hydrogen, offering a decentralized solution for energy and water needs.

Renasys provides plug-and-play filtration machinery to extract valuable, renewable resources from wastewater streams. This chemical-free technology integrates into existing facilities to instantly increase cleaning capacity and ensure regulatory compliance. The company offers a cost-effective 'water-as-a-service' model for municipal and industrial wastewater treatment.

Exowave has developed a patented wave energy converter technology that harnesses ocean wave energy to produce fresh water and renewable electricity. This approach addresses the global scarcity of clean drinking water and the need for sustainable energy sources, enhancing energy production by 50% when combined with offshore wind systems.

Stockholm Water Technology utilizes patented electro-capacitive technology to remove charged contaminants from water without chemicals or membranes, making it effective for heavy metal purification and nutrient reduction. Their systems operate autonomously with remote monitoring, reducing maintenance costs while ensuring compliance with water quality standards for industries and municipalities.

Pronoe develops automated water treatment systems that process industrial return flows to reduce seawater acidity, enhancing the ocean's natural capacity to capture and permanently store CO2. This technology addresses the declining effectiveness of oceans as carbon sinks, providing high-quality CO2 removal certificates while mitigating coastal acidification.

uvoji designs and manufactures LED UV-C disinfection systems for water and surfaces, effectively eliminating bacteria and viruses without the use of chemicals. Their technology provides safe drinking water and sanitized surfaces, addressing the critical need for hygiene in both residential and commercial settings.

TAPP Water provides a 5-stage nanofiltration system that removes over 100 contaminants from tap water, including chlorine, microplastics, and heavy metals, ensuring safe and great-tasting drinking water. The company aims to eliminate reliance on bottled water by offering an affordable and eco-friendly solution that significantly reduces plastic waste and costs associated with bottled alternatives.

OSMOSUN® develops solar-powered desalination systems that utilize reverse osmosis technology to produce up to 20,000 m³ of fresh water per day. These solutions provide reliable access to potable water for remote communities, agriculture, and emergency situations, addressing the critical shortage of clean water in various global regions.

This startup manufactures public water vending machines that dispense filtered water, eliminating the need for single-use plastic bottles. They also provide refillable steel bottles and apparel made from recycled plastics, enabling environmentally conscious consumers to access sustainable hydration solutions on the go.

Marine Tech offers integrated solutions for marine operations and environmental protection, providing autonomous drone systems for reconnaissance and monitoring, alongside advanced technologies for freshwater generation from seawater. The company also specializes in marine pollution detection and recovery, leveraging extensive maritime expertise to enhance operational efficiency and environmental stewardship.

The startup develops sustainable energy-neutral technology that extracts clean water from the air using low-temperature heat, which can be powered by renewable sources like waste heat and solar thermal collectors. This technology addresses water scarcity and reduces reliance on existing infrastructure and plastic waste in various industries.

Seamoretech offers a modular zero‑liquid‑discharge system that attaches to existing desalination plants to extract and purify water from brine streams, effectively increasing freshwater output. The technology uses ion‑exchange and precipitation to recover high‑value salts such as calcium, magnesium, lithium and sodium, while IoT sensors and machine‑learning controls optimize performance and enable remote monitoring.

VisioNing utilizes bioelectrochemical and photocatalytic technologies powered by solar energy to convert agricultural industrial wastewater into a purified resource while recovering essential nutrients. This process addresses the issues of water pollution, high fertilizer costs, and resource waste, promoting a sustainable and circular economy in agro-industrial practices.

The startup operates a metal recovery platform utilizing 3D-printed, chemically porous filters to extract dissolved raw materials from industrial wastewater. This technology enables operators to convert toxic waste streams into valuable products while enhancing material efficiency and minimizing environmental impact.

Molymem develops functional 2D material membranes that enhance water permeance and selectively reject pollutants, addressing the need for cleaner water in municipal and industrial applications. Their technology reduces the environmental impact of wastewater treatment and maximizes water reuse across various sectors, including pharmaceuticals and mining.