RIYADH, 31 July — Preliminary results from an experimental water desalination plant which uses solar energy are encouraging, the King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology said in a statement yesterday.
The success of the project at Sudais in the Riyadh region demonstrates the feasibility of using solar power in remote areas, KACST said in its annual report.
Dr. Saleh Al-Athel, president of KACST, said the agency disbursed SR21.2 million in grants for supporting 27 research projects during the year. “Believing in the essential importance of remote sensing, KACST continued its activities, research and supplying government and private bodies with space information. It offered, through concerned bodies, expert counseling in the fields of remote sensing, space science and its application in agricultural, geological, city planning and environment, and other services,” Al-Athel said in the report.
Referring to KACST’s achievements in the field of photovoltaics, the report said a system with a capacity of 6 kilowatts connected with the main electric network had been installed and operated at the solar village. “In addition, a hydraulics press system for manufacturing leveled solar water heaters has been developed on a commercial scale using local raw materials. Moreover, solar dryers were designed to ripen dates (before and after picking) in order to choose the optimal design for dates drying in Ahsa region in the Eastern Province,” the report said.
For the Civil Defense Directorate, KACST prepared a map of Riyadh showing presence of toxic chemicals, it pointed out. A database on such areas has been completed. The report said KACST identified the industrial application of radiation and radioactive isotopes in environmental protection. Its research institute has used radiation for neutralizing toxic chemicals in industrial sewage.
“Some samples have been brought from sewage plants from different locations and the effect of radiation on some important factors, such as chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biological oxygen demand (BOD), has been studied,” it said.
KACST’s research institute conducted studies on the treatment of petroleum and petrochemical wastes in order to protect the environment and public health, and explored possibilities of recycling them into useful byproducts.
The report said KACST was among research agencies invited by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) from more than 35 countries to make use of its facilities for research.
Following this, KACST set up in the NASA premises the Saudi Laser Observatory which determines the extent and direction of the Arabian Shield and the impact of its movement on weak spots on the earth using precise data on the movement of the continental shelf. Data for this purpose are relayed to the observatory from Riyadh over the Internet.
KACST installed 10 substations, five of them in the Tabuk area, three in Jizan and two in Riyadh. These stations are connected by special telephone lines to data analysis centers elsewhere.
On the environmental side, KACST studied the change in the vegetation map of Wadi Hanifa during 1987-92. “The study identified the changes in the southern areas of the valley and the effect of environmental changes on agricultural produce. The results were obtained by comparing satellite imagery spotted in 1987 and 1994, the report said.
