Wind desalination developer, Windesal, has appointed Jonathan Whalley as CEO. Whalley will oversee Windesal’s operations throughout Australia and overseas as the company advances its plans to produce drinking water from the ocean and brackish groundwater using up to 100 per cent renewable energy.

The former electrical engineer joins Windesal after 20 years in the space industry where he specialised in satellite communications. Most recently he was founder and director of satellite modem vendor DSpace, a global company which he started in 1995. “Windesal is set to play a crucial role in solving the world’s water shortage, so this is an incredibly exciting opportunity to lead such a forward-thinking organisation with overtly green values,” said Whalley.

The Australian company, based in Adelaide, is developing wind-powered desalination plants using world-leading Danish technology to turn seawater and brackish groundwater into high quality potable water. The environmentally-friendly plants are designed as “modules” which are each capable of producing up to five gigalitres of fresh water per year. Additional desalination modules can subsequently be added to each plant as necessary to enable greater water production.

The company has earmarked Salisbury in South Australia as the site of its first major project and is currently working with the City of Salisbury to establish a $20 million plant to tap into the region’s large underground aquifers which have been enhanced by the council’s stormwater recycling program.