Techno-economic feasibility of wind-powered reverse osmosis brackish water desalination systems in southern Algeria

Abstract

A B S T R A C TWater desalination is one of the most important factors that can help in developing remote areas and the desert. A critical technical parameter of desalination applications is the way the system is powered. This decision is taken according to the selected method of desalination and the characteristics of the candidate area. Nowadays, the method of reverse osmosis dominates globally; it requires only electricity, has a quite low specific energy demand, and can cooperate with technologies of renewable energy sources such as wind turbine and photovoltaics. Hence, renewable energy-powered reverse osmosis systems are promising technologies for brackish and seawater desalination in remote regions as they exhibit low energy consumption and can be designed according to water demand and energy resource. This study analyzes the feasibility of using wind energy to power brackish water reverse osmosis desalination units proposed for the development of the southern region of the case study country of Algeria. A reverse osmosis desalination scheme powered by a stand-alone wind turbine of 1 MW rated power is presented to elucidate its feasibility. The modeling results show that at average wind speeds, the amount of product water is sufficient to meet freshwater demand in this region. The effect of different operating and design conditions on the purified water production rate was investigated. The paper is concluded with the economic feasibility of wind-desalination systems at the selected sites.

Techno‐enviro‐economic design of small‐scale membrane‐based seawater desalination systems integrated with hybrid autonomous renewable power systems

“…Membrane desalination remains the preferred water treatment technology throughout the world due to its decreasing cost and ability to produce high‐quality water. In general, the cost of water production in desalination plants is determined by economic criteria, the initial investment cost of the plant, energy costs, and the characteristics of the electricity grid 32 . The cost of installing reverse osmosis desalination plants is proportional to their capacity.…”

“…In general, the cost of water production in desalination plants is determined by economic criteria, the initial investment cost of the plant, energy costs, and the characteristics of the electricity grid. 32 The cost of installing reverse osmosis desalination plants is proportional to their capacity. The total cost of reverse osmosis desalination plants is made up of the cost of installation, feed, and pre-and post-treatment systems.…”

Brackish water desalination using reverse osmosis and capacitive deionization at the water-energy nexus

“…2 Specific energy consumption of several BWRO desalination plants around the world. Data source: France (Vince et al 2008); Gabes, Tunisia (Walha et al 2007); Pangbourne, UK (Pearce 2008); Zarzis, Tunisia (Walha et al 2007); Pine Hill, Australia (Schäfer et al 2007); Bangi, Malaysia (Alghoul et al 2016); Pine Hill, Australia (Richards et al 2008); Gran Canaria, Spain (Ruiz-García and Ruiz-Saavedra 2015); Ksar Ghilène, Tunisia(Peñate et al 2014); Adrar, Algeria(Triki et al 2013); Hartha, Jordan(Qiblawey et al 2011); Oman(Alghoul et al 2009); Germany(Richards et al 2015).…”