In February 2019, Gulf Times reported that the Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (Qeeri) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University and Qatar Electricity and Water Company (QEWC) had agreed a 20-year research partnership. Its centrepiece was a seawater pilot plant for multi-effect distillation (MED) designed to use less energy. Later phases were to test polymer tubes against corrosion and scaling, anti-scalants suited to high temperatures and, eventually, solar-powered membrane desalination.
The report showed that Qatar aimed to make thermal desalination more efficient rather than replace it, and tied a utility and a research institute together for two decades to do so.
Source: Gulf Times