Carbon Footprint-Energy Detection for Desalination Small Plant Adaptation Response

Latifah Abdul Ghani,Nora’Aini Ali,Ilyanni Syazira Nazaran,Norhafiza Ilyana Yatim,Marlia M Hanafiah

doi:10.3390/en14217135

Latifah Abdul Ghani, Nora’Aini Ali + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/en14217135

Copy DOI

Abstract

The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) system, which can be used as a decision support tool for managing environmental sustainability, includes carbon footprint assessment as one of the available methodologies. In this study, a carbon footprint assessment was used to investigate seawater production systems of a desalination plant in Senok, Kelantan, Malaysia. Three stages of the desalination plant processing system were investigated and the inventory database was developed using the relevant model framework. Subsequently, measurements and interpretations were performed on several key indicators such as greenhouse gases, energy efficiency, acidic gases, smog, and toxic gases. Overall, the results of the study indicate that the Reverse Osmosis (RO) technology that is used in the desalination plant in the study area is one of the best options to meet the demands of the environmental sustainability agenda (SDGs). This is due to the lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emission, of about 3.5 × 10−2 kg of CO2 eq per m3/year, that was recorded for the entire operation of the system. However, several factors that influence important errors in carbon footprint decisions, such as the lack of EIA reporting data and the literature on carbon footprint in the Malaysian scenario, in addition to direct and indirect carbon input calculations, need to be identified in more detail in future research.

Highlights

Advances in technology have led scientists, academics, engineers, and architects to compete and innovate on every aspect of the desalination management system, resulting in the balance of the Earth’s transition to global peace [1,2]
It is hard to determine the indirect release of carbon during its early phases of construction due to reliability issues with the initial raw data, such as that relating to utilities, including electrical and water consumption and human resources, piling/ground work, land clearing, energy recovery devices, filters and membranes, and pumps
Several important steps can be implemented in the future to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission by requiring specific reporting, such as an environmental impact assessment (EIA)

Summary

Introduction

Advances in technology have led scientists, academics, engineers, and architects to compete and innovate on every aspect of the desalination management system, resulting in the balance of the Earth’s transition to global peace [1,2]. Optimization of the best RO methods is achieved via improved membrane technology (low permeable membrane or composite fouling), high pressure pump selection, and renewable energy use [7,8,9] Another important aspect that can be attributed to the SWRO challenge is the use of electricity, which can potentially affect the depletion of the ozone layer, water pollution, and an imbalance in carbon dioxide gas and natural resources. This study examined the potential reduction contribution of the product, namely water, through concentration, and thermodynamic has significant potential to improve energy saving and resource recovery, and additional studies are needed to control thewater effect transcarbon footprint measurement. The main objectives of and (2) to evaluate the CF performance of the SWRO system, proposing long-term this study were to (1) review current flows of GHG emissions and carbon footprints in suggestions on the issue of carbon savings. This SWRO system and (2) to evaluate the CF performance of the SWRO system, proposing long-term suggestions on the issue of carbon savings

Materials and Methods

Data Inventory

Calculation of GHG Emission

CO2 -eq Emissions in the Construction Process

CO2 -eq Emissions in the Operation Process

Conclusions