Trends in the major cost components of MSF desalting and their implications for future thermal desalting plant

Abstract

The capital and operating costs of MSF seawater desalters have increased drastically over the past decade. Analysis of trends in their major construction and operational costs permits conclusions to be drawn concerning the direction of future developments. If present trends continue, arid, oil-producing countries will require plants of low initial cost, high reliability and ease of operation, rather than new and advanced desalting concepts. On the other hand, oil-importing countries needing desalting must develop less fuel-intensive processes. Although seawater RO can meet these needs, a market for dual-purpose plant of high Performance Ratio will persist, particularly where flexibility of operation is required. Hybrid desalters, combining power-using and thermal desalting techniques, will be developed in these countries. Mechanical vapour compression combined with multiple-effect evaporation and MSF feed preheating is one such process.