Seawater Desalination the heated push for the future

1
Seawater Desalinationthe heated push for the
future

• Reverse osmosis (RO)
• vs.
• Distillation
• Who will be the freshwater champ of 2004?
• By Robert Bennedsen and Chris Stoll

2
Who in the world would use this?

• Southwest Florida Water Management District
• Saudi Arabia
• Bahrain
• Several counties in California
• 7,500 world wide!
• 60 is in the middle east

3
Is the United States using it?

• Yes, states like California have used this
  process due to the growing number of drought
  seasons in the state.
• 12 of the total water separated is in the United
  States. most of which are in Florida and the
  Caribbean.
• However with the higher cost of producing water
  production plans have been limited.

4
Why is it important?

• -Countries such as Iraq have little fresh water.
• -They depend on other sources to make fresh
  water.
• -Seawater is the most abundant resource.
• -Reduces the dependence on natural fresh water.

5
Process

• Reverse Osmosis (RO)
• Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO)
• http//cape.uwaterloo.ca/che100projects/sea/ro.htm
  l

6
How does it work?

• Reverse Osmosis (RO)

7
Is it efficient?

• Fuel costs are high.
• Membrane changing is costly and requires shutting
  down the factory.
• Disposal of the salt/brine.
• (RO) removes unwanted contaminates.
• -trihalomethane-precursors, pesticides, and
  bacteria.

8
Limitations

• Energy Costs
• Pipeline Costs
• Concentration Disposal

9
Solutions

• Location of Desalination Plants
• Nanofiltration
• Pressure Recovery

10
Collocation

• Power Plants
• Method for Dilution
• Heated Water

11
Is it working?

• MSF  RO Others
  total number of units
• Saudi Arabia 3,449
   1,627 177 5,253
  1,137
• Emirates 1,944 
  140 80 2,165
  169
• Kuwait 1,469 
  52 17 1,538
  69
• Qatar 510 
  3 -
  513 6
• Bahrain 161
  129 19 309
  111
• Iraq 11
  233 89
  333 110