Global water industry leaders gathered in Abu Dhabi yesterday for a high-level panel discussion at the World Utilities Congress 2025, addressing the urgent need to bridge the growing gap between water demand and available resources. The session, titled “Global Leadership: Advancing the desalination agenda towards water security,” featured prominent executives and experts from around the world, including Julio de la Rosa, ME Chief Executive of Water Sector Development at ACCIONA.

De la Rosa’s participation underscored ACCIONA’s commitment to sustainable desalination and innovation in water infrastructure. He joined a distinguished panel that included Adrián Bolas, CEO of Desolenator; Johnny Obeid, Vice President at Veolia Water Technologies; Dawson Kim, CEO of Medison Energy; Sumit Thakur, Global Director for Water, Cities, Waste and Circular Economy at the International Finance Corporation (IFC); and Eng. Nabil Al-Juhani, Vice President of Contracts at the Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC).

During the session, de la Rosa emphasized the transformative role of clean energy integration in desalination technologies, particularly in reducing environmental impact and operating costs. He also spoke about ACCIONA’s ongoing efforts to scale up solar-powered desalination and implement digital solutions that optimize membrane performance and resource efficiency.

Julio de la Rosa also addressed circular economy solutions in the desalination sector, including the potential of concentrated brine—traditionally seen as hazardous waste—as a source of valuable minerals. Through carbon mineralization processes, up to 13 kg of magnesium carbonate and 6 kg of CO₂ can be captured per ton of brine, turning waste into economic opportunity and supporting emissions reduction goals.

The session concluded with calls for comprehensive financial models that support public-private collaboration, foster innovation, and accelerate the transition to low-emission, cost-effective water infrastructure.