Murdoch University in Australia has launched a National Centre of Excellence in Desalination (NCED), built at a cost of A$20m ($18m).
The Australian Government awarded $18m to Murdoch University in 2009 to host the centre as an integral part of the Australian Government's long-term Water for the Future initiative.
The NCED also received funding of A$3m ($2.7m) from the Western Australian State Government.
The centre was set up to undertake R&D in desalination and to help Australia and the world face future challenges of water security.
The research areas include pre-treatment, reverse osmosis desalting, novel desalting, concentrate management and social, economic and environmental issues.
