Founded by Marc Vergnet and Maxime Haudebourg
with the vision of providing renewable powered water for the water stressed populations of the world.
Our company
The company specializes in innovative water treatment solutions with the use of renewable energy.
The first development phase resulted in the industrialization of OSMOSUN®, the world’s first industrial product range of seawater and brackish water solar powered desalination plants, with a daily production capacity ranging from 1 to 600m3, and up to 20 000 m3 with hybridized energy sources.
Since 2014, this groundbreaking patented innovation enables communities, public utilities and private organizations from the whole world to produce affordable and sustainable fresh water with no greenhouse gas emission.
Our range of solutions is addressing all decentralized needs for water treatment installations.
OSMOSUN®
Create Water Where Life Is
Production :
Agence CDO

Design
We assist you to develop a modular and robust system to address your water needs sustainably.

Finance
We offer a range of financial services, from leasing to PPP and BOO models, so you can directly benefit from affordable water production.

Build
We deliver a turnkey solution ready to supply water autonomously, even to your most isolated sites.

Operate
We provide full O&M packages for maintenance support, including long term spare part supply.

Equipement sales
We supply OSMOSUN® skids or containerized systems for local integration.
TECHNOLOGY FOR A SMART SOLAR POWERED DESALINATION
Off grid or grid tied, the patented innovation lies in the flexibility of the production for an optimized energy consumption, key element for a sustainable and competitive water production.
Show more
The OSMOSUN® process :
- Adapts to instantly and automatically optimize flows, pressures and recovery rates to the variable solar power
- Monitors the key parameter of the membrane lifespan* (8 to 10 years) by smoothing out the flow and pressure variations thanks to an hydraulic accumulator and a night-time automatic fresh water membrane flushing
*Development with the European Membrane Institute (IEM)
- Enhances the energy consumption (2.5 kWh/m3 for seawater with a salinity of 35 g/liter) with an efficient energy recovery device (96 %) for the whole range up to the smallest units
- Optimizes the solar production with a patented DC /AC variator with variable frequency, including the MPPT (Maximum Power Production Tracking)
- Ensures a permanent remote monitoring
The result is impressive: « The OSMOSUN® lives to the rhythm of the sun”

Our vision
Climate change and population growth will double the demand for water by 2030 (UN). Nearly 3.9 billion people could run out of water by 2040 (OECD), foremost among them are the poorest.
Faced with this challenge, Marc Vergnet and Maxime Haudebourg created Mascara NT, a company specialized in innovative water treatment using renewable energies, to produce fresh and affordable water for all.

The meeting of two entrepreneurs - A virtuous vision for the future
Ushuaïa TV Channel
Episode of the show :
En Terre Ferme
Production :
Phare Ouest Production
Our history
Why "Mascara" ?
In addition to being among other well-known objects an innovative company, MASCARA was originally a very beautiful small town located in the Algerian Atlas. A village with which we share special affinities, having seen one of the founders grow up there who hydrated himself throughout his youth with the brackish water that supplied the region at the time!

First OSMOSUN® unit implemented in Abu Dhabi as part of MASDAR Renewable Energy Desalination Program
The PV-SWRO desalination unit without battery demonstrated the lowest energy consumption with 2,5 KWh / m3 for an incoming salinity of 35 g / L (in competition with Veolia, Suez, and Abengoa).
First unit implemented for utilities on islands and coastal communities
in Polynesia and then South Africa.
First water access through OSMOSUN® Brackish Water
in off grid communities in Mozambique.
First responsible water management plan of an hotel
supported by the implementation of an OSMOSUN® in Mauritius.
First containerized OSMOSUN® Unit
implemented for fast and easy setup in Oman.
First sustainable agriculture irrigation application
in Cape Verde.
40+ OSMOSUN® units in operation in 20+ countries development,
kickstarting product diversification.

A dedicated multi skilled team
Our team of about twenty people gathers internally the set of skills required to address the multiple specific challenges faced for sustainable water treatment applications.

Key expertises and experiences

Industrial capabilities for designing, manufacturing and commissioning our solutions.

Holistic approach to challenges related to resources and the water cycle.

Engineering excellence in renewable energies.

Experience from development to delivery of turnkey projects internationally.

Expertise in the latest water treatment technologies.

Advanced financial engineering capabilities.
Team leaders in our company
Maxime Haudebourg
After a few years as a professor of electrical engineering and automation, I created, developed and managed a design office for automation and industrial maintenance in Eure et Loir.
10 years later, I left my company for a research project on unconventional energies in a Scientific Research center in India, which will allow me to become an expert and speaker in renewable energies. In the process, I created a company to design and manufacture special machines for the food industry and reverse osmosis water treatment for developing countries and farmer-processors in France.
With more than 30 years of experience in the creation and management of companies in very diversified activities both national and international, I am at the origin of many projects in mechanics, hydraulics, renewable electricity and industrial IT.
Alexis Dupont
Since early 2022, I am in charge of the Production and Industrialization department of MASCARA. With a background in Mechanical and Production Engineering, I joined the MASCARA team in 2016. For several years, I had the opportunity to be part of the development of OSMOSUN® products by getting involved in the whole life cycle of the products under the mechanical and hydraulic aspects, juggling between design, manufacturing and on-site commissioning.
Nowadays, I get involved in developing and leading an efficient industrial facility, allowing us to meet the growing demand of OMSOSUN® units. I manage a team of multidisciplinary technicians driven by the determination to manufacture innovative industrial equipment in compliance with the current sustainable development challenges.
Quentin Ragetly
In January 2020, I became the new CEO of OSMOSUN®. After Chemical engineering studies in France and UK, I began my career in 1999 at the CEA (French Atomic Energy Commission) as a researcher and then in 2004 as an international production manager at BP.
In 2008, at ENGIE, I was in charge of the development of innovative subsidiaries where I cultivated an entrepreneurial approach for industrial projects related to environmental challenges: clean mobility, biogas, hydrogen, etc.
More than ever, after 25 years of professional experience, I remain driven by the development of clean industrial solutions for a sustainable future!
Titouan Garel
I studied engineering with a specialization in renewable energies and automated processes, and I am in charge of R&D at OSMOSUN® since 2016. I contributed to the development of the OSMOSUN® range for seawater and brackish water desalination, participate in unit design, tests in our workshop, and commissioning on site.
I managed several R&D projects, such as DEMOS and ECODESS funded by ADEME, whose main research themes were the coupling between renewable energies and OSMOSUN®, the development of alternatives to chemicals in the desalination process, recycling of reverse osmosis membranes and remote monitoring of OSMOSUN® units.
Tristan Le Delliou
Engineer by training and after spending several years in the energy field, I joined the Mascara team in 2018 as a Project Manager. The challenge and strong values offered by Mascara allow me to grow on current topics that I am passionate about such as innovation, universal access to water and electricity, resilience of populations to climate change, an international and multicultural work environment or the decentralized approach that takes into account the specificities of each territory.
In charge of project development and implementations, I drive projects from their response and contracting phase to the commissioning of the various seawater and brackish water desalination projects carried out by OSMOSUN® worldwide. I also contribute to the structuring of the Projects department and to the operational and commercial development of the company.
Séverine Malgouyres
After studies in international business opening me to multicultural exchanges while developing my skills in fields of activities as diversified as the creation of perfumes, the soap industry or the transport of people, I’ve made my mark by accompanying the companies in their administrative, financial, commercial, marketing and HR steps.
My education and my open-minded character have always allowed me to evolve; I’ve built my career to be an effective tool in the development of skills and useful to the company's organization.
Today, I use this range of skills at OSMOSUN® in the position of Office Manager, which is enriched day by day thanks to the new challenges that I like to take up as much in team as in my personal development.
Being part of the OSMOSUN® adventure was an obvious choice that gives meaning to the work: transforming salt water into drinking water for the people who need it is vital!
I’m proud to participate in this achievement by implementing all the means to support the employees on a daily basis.
Maxime Therrillion
With an International Business background, experiences in consulting and business development in France, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region for the telecom and sustainability sectors, I joined OSMOSUN® in 2016 to support a more renewable powered water future, the solar powered desalination technology by OSMOSUN®.
I strongly believe that solutions combining sustainable business practices and frugal technologies have the power to address today and tomorrow’s challenges.
We Support Their Projects
We work all over the world. We deploy water production projects within the framework of national programs, for local authorities or private clients. We are proud of the trust our clients place in us.