Potential for Wind-Powered Desalination Systems in Jordan

Abstract

Desalination systems driven by renewable energies are limited, and they usually have a limited capacity. They only represent about 0.02% of total desalination capacity. However, many reasons make the use of renewable energies suitable for brackish and seawater desalination. In addition to shortage of fresh water resources, Jordan is suffering from shortages in recoverable commercial energy sources such as crude oil and natural gas. The limited energy sources in Jordan makes considering renewable energy options such as wind power very attractive, especially for remote areas. This will be extremely important for small-scale applications. Due to prevailing tough conditions, such as low water quality and shortage in supplies, there is a large demand for small desalination units, not only in locations not connected to a water supply network, but also as units for additional or independent supply. The coupling of wind energy and desalination systems holds great promise for increasing water supplies in water scarce regions. An effective integration of these technologies will allow countries to address water shortage problems with a domestic energy source that does not produce air pollution or contribute to the global problem of climate change. Meanwhile the costs of desalination and renewable energy systems are steadily decreasing, while fuel prices are rising and fuel supplies are decreasing. This paper specifically seeks to address the enhancement of the overall quantity of freshwater available in Jordan, by exploring the potential for integrating wind power and desalination technologies to increase water supplies. Both desalination and wind technologies are summarized in this paper, including growth trends, costs, and emerging technological advancements. These descriptions provide snapshots of the current status of these technologies and their markets, as both independent and integrated technologies. Meteorological data is then used to generate a map of Jordan wind-powered desalination potential “hotspots”, to give a rough idea where the integration of these technologies might be the most applicable.