Technology that transforms seawater into drinking water
Planeta COPPE / Energy / Mechanical Engineering / News
Date: 14/08/2025
Ensuring continuous and safe access to drinking water is one of the greatest global challenges of the 21st century. One of the most promising solutions is nuclear desalination — a technology capable of harnessing the electricity and heat generated by reactors to transform seawater into a potable resource, without emitting greenhouse gases. Countries such as India, Russia, South Korea, China, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are already implementing or developing this solution to face water scarcity.
In this context, Coppe/UFRJ reaffirms its international leadership. Professor Renato Cotta, from the Mechanical Engineering Program, is a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) technical group, which is dedicated to nuclear desalination, for the second time. The committee brings together just 14 world-renowned experts responsible for advancing research and guiding policy on the topic.
Cotta, who is also a member of Amazul’s Scientific and Technological Committee, explains that desalination, especially of seawater, requires a large amount of energy. “Nuclear power generation, because it is highly energy-intensive, becomes strategic, as it allows for the cogeneration of electricity, heat and desalinated water continuously and without greenhouse gas emissions.”
The role of a Coppe professor in this select international group reinforces the institution’s academic excellence and demonstrates how research developed at a Brazilian public university can directly impact people’s lives—bringing greater water security and sustainability into the future.
