Role of Seawater Desalination in the Management of an Integrated Water and 100% Renewable Energy Based Power Sector in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This work presents a pathway for Saudi Arabia to transition from the 2015 power structure to a 100% renewable energy-based system by 2050 and investigates the benefits of integrating the power sector with the growing desalination sector. Saudi Arabia can achieve 100% renewable energy power system by 2040 while meeting increasing water demand through seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) and multiple effect distillation (MED) desalination plants. The dominating renewable energy sources are PV single-axis tracking and wind power plants with 243 GW and 83 GW, respectively. The levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) of the 2040 system is 49 €/MWh and decreases to 41 €/MWh by 2050. Corresponding levelised cost of water (LCOW) is found to be 0.8 €/m 3 and 0.6 €/m 3 . PV single-axis tracking dominates the power sector. By 2050 solar PV accounts for 79% of total electricity generation. Battery storage accounts for 41% of total electricity demand. In the integrated scenario, due to flexibility provided by SWRO plants, there is a reduced demand for battery storage and power-to-gas (PtG) plants as well as a reduction in curtailment. Thus, the annual levelised costs of the integrated scenario is found to be 1-3% less than the non-integrated scenario.

A Levelized Cost Analysis for Solar-Energy-Powered Sea Water Desalination in The Emirate of Abu Dhabi

“…As a result, the energy consumption of RO for seawater desalination is expected to decrease further and may even go below 2.5 kWh/m 3 . It is indeed reported that 'other new energy recovery systems are under development with the objective of reducing energy consumption for seawater RO (SWRO) below 2 kWh/m 3 [13]. The results below indicate that the cap-ex value of solar-PV-powered RO will decline even further with an efficiency increase in energy consumption as shown in Figure 11.…”

“…The results below indicate that the cap-ex value of solar-PV-powered RO will decline even further with an efficiency increase in energy consumption as shown in Figure 11. new energy recovery systems are under development with the objective of reducing energy consumption for seawater RO (SWRO) below 2 kWh/m 3 [13]. The results below indicate that the capex value of solar-PV-powered RO will decline even further with an efficiency increase in energy consumption as shown in Figure 11.…”

“…Both of these technologies require thermal heat, which can be either acquired from the burning of fossil fuels or through concentrated solar or geothermal energy as more sustainable options. The third technology for desalination is called reverse osmosis (RO), which has seen an exponential increase in use recently due to rapid developments in its decreasing cost and increasing effectiveness [12,13]. In most parts of the world, RO has become the main choice for desalination technology as a result [14].…”

“…RO systems require direct electricity as the energy form in order to operate during the desalination process as opposed to MSF and MED. Surprisingly, the cost reduction in direct-electricity-producing renewable energy technologies (wind and solar photovoltaic (PV)) has been much sharper compared to the thermal-heat-producing renewables (concentrated solar and geothermal) [13,15]. Considering the convergence of rapid technological developments in both RO for desalination and solar PV, a combination of these two technologies may result in the cheapest and cleanest desalination of the seawater, especially here in the Arabian Gulf region [13].…”

Coastal California Wastewater Effluent as a Resource for Seawater Desalination Brine Commingling

“…For example, the "Mega-Ton Water System" full-scale pilot project operating as part of SWRO research in Japan has been able to reduce energy consumption by 20% by implementing new membrane technologies [39]. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, the world's largest producer of desalinated water, is researching the impacts of integrating the demand for desalination with the country's transition to a 100% renewable energy power system by 2050 [40]. Operating a SWRO facility on renewable energy would significantly reduce the environmental impacts associated with the energy requirements for seawater desalination.…”