Acwa, the world’s largest private water desalination company, a leader in the energy transition, and a first mover into green hydrogen at scale, and Schneider Electric have collaborated to develop and validate a new method for real‑time measurement of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in desalination plants.
The findings of this joint research have been published in a peer‑reviewed scientific paper authored by engineers from both companies and accepted by the academic journal Frontiers in Environmental Science. The work combines Acwa’s large‑scale desalination operating experience with Schneider Electric’s expertise in industrial automation and digital systems.
TDS is a critical parameter governing the design, efficiency, and day‑to‑day operation of desalination plants, and its accurate measurement is essential for optimizing energy consumption, process control, and operational reliability.
Thomas Altmann, EVP Innovation and New Technology, Acwa said: “Accurate measurement of TDS under real operating conditions is fundamental to how desalination plants are designed, controlled, and optimized, yet it has remained a persistent industry challenge. In this work, we demonstrate a practical, density‑based sensing approach that can estimate TDS reliably across the salinity and temperature ranges encountered in large‑scale desalination plants. Developed and validated in collaboration with Schneider Electric, the method is designed for real plant environments—robust, deployable, and grounded in first principles. This is how Acwa advances desalination science: in our own plants, with our own engineers, and through collaborative R&D.”
Modern desalination plants increasingly rely on AI‑driven, edge‑based control systems, and the quality of those systems ultimately depends on the quality of their sensor inputs. The method developed in this work estimates TDS by measuring the hydrostatic differential pressure between saline water and a reference water column. A calibrated algorithm corrects for temperature and density effects and converts the signal into a TDS value expressed in parts per million. This enables plant operators to act on reliable, real‑time information to optimize energy efficiency and operating throughput.
This publication represents one of the first scientific collaborations between Acwa and Schneider Electric, bringing together Acwa’s deep operational experience in large‑scale desalination and Schneider Electric’s leadership in industrial, software‑defined automation.
Georges El Mir, SVP Industrial Automation Middle East & Africa - International Operations, Schneider said: “What made this research meaningful was the way it was done. Our engineers did not develop this in isolation and then hand it to a plant to test. They worked alongside Acwa’s team from the start, designing the system around real operating conditions and validating it against real seawater and brine from plants that serve millions of people. This is how industry technology should be developed, and publishing the results through peer review means that anyone in the industry can examine the method and the evidence behind it. As the energy technology partner, the mission is to reduce the cost of produced water by driving energy efficiency and extending the life of the Sea Water Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) membranes.”
Testing and validation of the TDS measurement of the system was conducted at Acwa’s R&D facility at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) campus in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, by a joint team of engineers from both companies. The proposed method uses the differential head pressure measurement of saline water and reference water. The calibration model / algorithm applies compensations with respect to temperature, density and calculates the TDS in PPM (mg/l) units.
Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s largest producers of desalinated water, with desalination supplying a significant share of the Kingdom’s municipal water needs. Under Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Water Strategy, the Kingdom is investing in the efficiency and sustainability of its water infrastructure at scale. More accurate plant-level TDS measurement directly supports these goals by enabling better energy management, more precise chemical dosing, and more reliable plant design.
Both companies intend to continue the collaboration with the aim of establishing the method as a standard across the industry and improving the sustainability of desalination plant operations.