Jim Stewart
1923–2010
Vice-president, MECO
Vice-president, MECO
Pioneering researcher driving practical large-scale MSF; the desal godfather, valued mentor to countless other engineers.
Jim Stewart – Tom Pankratz
Jim started his thermal desalination career with G & J Weir, forerunners of Veolia. His engineering and experimental contributions were instrumental to H Hillier's pioneering work on scale formation which opened the door to higher efficiency and onshore-size thermal plants (and, later, Weir's entry into MSF). Jim eventually became Weir's technical director, then general manager. In 1970 he became Aqua-Chem's engineering manager, then was the first managing director of KAE (now Aqualectra) from 1975 to 1982 and MECO's vice-president of engineering 1982-1992, when he semi-retired to an advisory role.
Chiefly involved in thermal desalting, Jim also worked on early SWRO plants.
Jim once told a WDR reporter he had seen only two new major technological developments: the gas turbine engine and desalination. When the correspondent suggested that the computer might be added to the list, he said, 'A computer is just a fancy slide rule and wasn't a real innovation.'
Water Desalination Report
We invented MSF in 1960 and they haven't changed a damn thing… they just take our drawings and keep stretching them a wee bit more.
It was the mid 1980s and Jim waved his finger at me as he said, 'Don't stay in this business son, it'll get in your blood... and no good will come of it!', then he gave me that wry smile and I knew I was hooked.
John Tonner