GHG Emission Reduction Assessment for Desalination Systems through Carbon Capture and Renewable Energy Options

Abstract

Many existing desalination plants are energy intensive, relying on fossil fuels to provide the energy requirements of the process. In the long run, such desalination operations are unsustainable, and result in excessive carbon dioxide emissions. Since shifting towards renewable energy technologies has been identified as a plausible remedy for carbon dioxide emission reduction in the desalination market, the ability to invest in the most appropriate desalination/renewable energy technologies calls for the need to assess the many different options that do exist. When it comes to switching over to renewable energy options, policy makers are always concerned about the relatively high cost of renewable energy technologies compared to fossil fuels. Hybrid energy systems usually offer a relatively good compromise between conventional and renewable energy technologies, since such energy systems can address carbon footprint reduction to some extent. Moreover, carbon capture can be coupled with hybrid and conventional energy sources to reduce the carbon dioxide emission associated with their operation. To date, there exist no assessment methods that have captured the effects of imposing different carbon reduction targets on the optimal design of desalination systems, and their respective energy sources. Hence, the main objective of the model is to minimize the total desalination network cost, while satisfying a set of conditions and constraints related to water recovery, as well as heat and power production. Most importantly, the associated carbon emission levels may be controlled through renewable energy or a combination of conventional and hybrid energy options, in addition to the possibility of combining those options together with standard carbon capture methods.