He Water and energy They are intrinsically linked, not so much for convenience but by necessity. As we have mentioned on numerous occasions, access to both is vital for humanity and is in fact, one of the great global challenges we have to face. Climate change, pressure on water resources For an increasingly pressing shortage of water and the growing demand for energy by new industries (such as data centers), those models based on creating synergies between both resources, which promote efficient management of them, sustainable access over time and a reduction in the environmental footprint have enhanced.
We cannot forget the responsibility of each company to build Not only towards a sustainable economy, but Towards a sustainable prosperity. Clearly there is no magic formula to achieve it, but everything indicates that the right path goes through the efficient and optimal management of natural resources. And the best way to guarantee it is through the combination of renewable energy with water resources.
The reality is stubborn, and reflects that the Global industry brings together 20% of water consumption worldwide and 37% of energy (according to UN calculations and the International Energy Agency). To this figure we must add the prevailing inequality in terms of water access: about 2,000 million people (more than 26% of the world’s population) do not have access to drinking water And more than 4,000 million suffer a serious shortage of water in the areas where they live. Regions like him North Africa and Middle East They are the most affected and is in our hand contribute to guaranteeing the availability of water for the population and, doing so by reducing energy consumption. It is therefore not realistic to think of a moderately prosperous and sustainable future in time if companies do not assume the need to guarantee that efficient management of natural resources.
In Cox we have turned that responsibility into our reason for being. The interdependence between both resources In fact, the pillar of a pioneering and even unique business model is: our water concessions are nourished by renewable energy projects linked to them, generating an efficient, sustainable and yet profitable ecosystem. The premise, Energy Follows WaterIt is as clear as water. Each existing water asset, each new water concession, is followed by a clean energy generation project that makes infrastructure in principle complex (such as a large capacity desalination) are not only self -sufficient, but more efficient. It is a business model that guarantees greater effectiveness in the generation and management of water resources. Infrastructures such as Taweelah desalination maker are the clear example of the way to follow: capable of supplying more than four and a half million inhabitants of Abu Dhabi reducing the use of external demand from fossil fuels thanks to the installation of a photovoltaic solar field, and optimizing the water generation cost.
The desalination industry is experiencing a clear moment of growth, with forecasts that suggest that the world market rubs a Investment need above 30,000 million dollars of 2030; pushed undoubtedly by the growing water stress. In Cox we have assumed the responsibility of being one of the main companies in the world in infrastructure management of (with more than 250 references and with presence in the management of 10% of global world desalination capacity). And we have opted for a business model with which we seek to inspire the desalination industry, with that objective of achieving prosperity that guarantees the future of coming generations.
And next to this perfect marriage between water and energy, and on that horizon towards a better planet, storage in batteries and thermosolar plants as key solutions and as a market to take into account in the coming years also emerge. The Battery market growth projections, globally, they go through a Annual rate of 21% to 2032according to Fortune Business Insights, while the electricity generated by thermosolar plants could meet up to 25% of world energy needs by 2050.
They are figures that attest to the world transition to cleaner energy sources. A path in which the Water and energy management They must go hand in hand. The model based on the integration of both resources is not only viable, but essential to build a more resilient, efficient and sustainable future.