Air-to-water sustainable bottling facility to open in Dubai

A1RWATER, a UAE-based water innovation company, has announced plans to open an air-to-water bottling facility in Dubai to bolster the UAE's circular economy agenda and sustainability goals. It will operate in Dubai Industrial City, a business district managed by Tecom Group.

A1RWATER, founded in 2018 in Abu Dhabi, makes atmospheric water generators using proprietary technology that collects drinkable water from air humidity. It also boasts sustainable bottling techniques and packaging technologies that minimise emissions.

"Our mission is to redefine how the world accesses this vital resource, starting from a single drop to entire cities," said A1RWATER founder and chief executive Alex Guy.

"New water technology is all about getting to scale," he explained in an interview with The National. "The DIC facility is a major milestone, and a testament to our commitment ... we are just beginning to scratch the surface of what's possible."

Mr Guy said the facility is slated to open later in the year. A1RWATER, which also has offices in Switzerland and the UK, said the facility will help to eliminate the need for single-use plastic bottles.

"With regards to the bottling process, we're using reusable glass, the bottles can be used thousands of time," Mr Guy explained. "So for our customers we're delivering a clear cost advantage and a clear sustainability advantage."

Various companies around the world have created atmospheric water generators in recent years. The implementations of those systems has ranged from small to large, but generally possess similar qualities.

“Because our water never touches the ground, pipes or other contaminants, it’s the highest quality water requiring less infrastructure and no chemicals,” the A1RWATER's website reads in part.

The Abu Dhabi-based company said the ability to provide water from the air has the potential to eliminate complicated and environmentally burdensome supply chain logistics. “Our water takes a lighter approach, sourced from the skies and bottled in sustainable bottles and cans right on site,” it said.

According to a news release from A1RWATER, the facility will help "shift the trajectory of water access" in the UAE.

The company also has partnerships with Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Jotun, Emirates Palace and Adnoc, which in turn help those entities and communities source water more sustainably. It operates on a business-to-business model.

"If you're in some hotels in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, hopefully you've seen a bottle of our water, if not already, hopefully you will coming soon," Mr Guy said.

Water scarcity and tech solutions

More than half of the world's population could live in water-stressed regions by 2050, according to a 2020 United Nations report that called for immediate action and investment.

Recent advancements in technology have shown that harvesting water directly from air is not only possible but increasingly efficient, even in the driest of environments like the Middle East, which also faces the potential for water stress in the not- too-distant future, due to climate change.

The advancements of atmospheric water generators are not necessarily a silver-bullet, however, in terms of a sustainable solution, they do help.

In many cases, those air-to-water technologies need to be powered from electricity grids, which could offset some environmental benefits if the power from the grid is not renewable.

Khalifa University recently announced it was in the process of preparing a patent application for its implementation of a water-generation technology that was powered by solar panels.

"It's a great solution," said Prof Samuel Mao during an interview in March, while showing Khalifa University's approach on the rooftop filled with solar panels at the Sas Al Nakhl campus.

“Water is generated as long as there is sunshine and moisture in air, and the system does not require electric power from the grid,” he said.

Other methods for providing drinking water, such as desalinating seawater or groundwater sourcing, also consume significant energy.

Initially, A1RWATER's DIC facility will be connected to the grid, but Mr Guy said that future projects will include other power sources.

"Going forward we'll introduce a large element of solar and I look forward to discussing more on that in the not-too-distant future," he explained.

"We think that air-to-water will disrupt water industries the same way solar disrupted power industries."