Cairo: Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mahmoud Esmat held talks on Saturday, September 19, 2026, with HydroVolta President George Brik on cooperation in seawater desalination and the treatment of saline groundwater.According to State Information Service Egypt, the discussions included the potential use of infrastructure at electricity generation plants for desalination projects, with an emphasis on plans to recover minerals and chemicals from waste produced during the desalination process. HydroVolta officials introduced the Belgian company's SonixED technology, which utilizes a combination of electrical separation and ultrasound to effectively remove salts and other substances from water.The technology, as explained by the Ministry, can significantly reduce salt buildup, chemical use, and energy consumption during water treatment. It is capable of treating highly saline groundwater and producing water suitable for drinking or irrigation. In addition to water purification, the system can reco ver several products from desalination waste, such as magnesium hydroxide, calcium carbonate, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, bromine, and hydrochloric acid.Esmat also discussed Egypt's strategic plan to increase its desalination capacity to 10 million cubic meters of water per day by 2050. The first phase of this initiative targets 3.35 million cubic meters per day and includes the potential production of chemicals from desalination waste, thus reducing the country's reliance on imported materials. A subsequent phase would involve systems designed to extract and process magnesium for commercial use.The meeting further explored plans to integrate solar and wind power into desalination efforts, which could help in reducing operational costs. Esmat highlighted Egypt's intentions to attract private and foreign investment in the desalination sector, expand local production of equipment and components, and incorporate modern water treatment technologies into the country.