Abstract
For many arid countries, desalination is considered as the final possible option to ensure water availability. Although seawater desalination offers the utilisation of almost infinite water resources, the technology is associated with high costs, high energy consumption and thus high carbon emissions when using electricity from fossil sources. In our study, we compare different electricity mixes for seawater desalination in terms of some economic, social and environmental attributes. For this purpose, we developed a comprehensive multi-regional input-output model that we apply in a hybrid life-cycle assessment spanning a period of 29 yr. In our case study, we model desalination plants destined to close the water gap in the Murray-Darling basin, Australia’s major agricultural area. We find that under a 100%-renewable electricity system, desalination consumes 20% less water, emits 90% less greenhouse gases, and generates 14% more employment. However, the positive impacts go hand in hand with 17% higher land use, and a 10% decrease in gross value added, excluding external effects.
Highlights
Seawater desalination offers the utilisation of almost infinite water resources, the technology is associated with high costs, high energy consumption and high carbon emissions when using electricity from fossil sources
We investigated the TBL impacts of seawater desalination depending on the electrical energy supply on the environmental indicators water use, land use and GHG
In our IO-based hLCA assessment, we showed the comprehensive TBL sustainability impacts of seawater desalination, depending on the utilised electricity source
Summary
Water scarcity affects an increasing proportion of the world’s population (Greve et al 2018). In the ‘granary of Australia’, the MDB, little precipitation and water over-use has led to environmental issues like high salinity of rivers and fish death (Potter et al 2010, Wedderburn et al 2012). Over the past few years, Australia faced heat records and intense bushfires (Borchers Arriagada et al 2020). The latter put the country in a state of emergency for weeks in early 2020 (Komesaroff and Kerridge 2020). If using natural resources, improving water management, and measures like wastewater reuse are not sufficient to meet water demand, desalination offers great potential, especially for regions with access to the sea (Crisp 2012, Bell et al 2018). Studies that assess total sustainability by measuring environmental, social and economic indicators are missing (Haddad 2013, Gude 2016)
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