Renewable Energy Desalination Research Articles

Techno-economic assessment of vertical axis wind turbine driven RO desalination with compressed air energy storage for remote communities

Renewable energy desalination is gaining much attention in remote off-grid communities facing challenges in accessing clean water. Typically, batteries ensure the continuous operation of small-scale renewable reverse osmosis (RO) desalination systems; however, they are expensive and have relatively shorter lifespans. This study investigates the implementation of a compressed air energy storage (CAES) system coupled with a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) to directly drive small-scale RO desalination, potentially replacing batteries and reducing energy conversions. A Simulink model was developed to simulate the performance of a VAWT-driven CAES operating RO units, adaptable for both technical and economic assessments. Parametric studies have identified the optimal configuration. The most cost-effective configuration, utilising eleven VAWTs and a pressure exchanger (PX), achieves a levelised cost of water (LCOW) of 1.63 US$/m3 and an annual water production of 9400 m3. The normalised daily water production per square metre of turbine swept area at the study site is 0.19 m3/m2/day at an average wind speed of 5 m/s. While this configuration has a higher initial capital cost, it yields the lowest LCOW. The CAES system effectively addresses the intermittency challenges of wind energy. This study presents a novel, battery-free VAWT-CAES-RO system as a sustainable desalination solution for remote communities, offering a promising approach to address water scarcity in an environmentally friendly manner.

Renewable energy-driven desalination for sustainable water production in the Middle East

ABSTRACT Despite significant advancement in conventional desalination technologies, their widespread application is still constrained by high energy demands, high capital costs, and the associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the potential and challenges of renewable energy desalination in the Middle East. The study also compared the production of energy and water, and emissions reductions of hypothetical 100 MW renewable energy plants in Kuwait, coupled with reverse osmosis (RO) desalination units. The wind-RO plant is estimated to produce 68 million cubic metres on an annual basis, while the CSP-RO and PV-RO plants produced 44 and 37 million cubic metres of fresh water, respectively. These estimates, however, only account for 5% to 9% of the annual fresh water demand in the reference case. Meeting 100% of the fresh water demand would require a 1000 MW to 2000 MW renewable energy capacity. Overall, the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources is a fundamental barrier to the large-scale transition to renewable energies for desalination. The results of this study indicate that the CSP’s relatively small footprint (compared to wind plants) and higher capacity factor make it an ideal compromise among the proposed plants.

Sustainable Food Security: Balancing Desalination, Climate Change, and Population Growth in Five Arab Countries Using ARDL and VECM

This study examines the complex interplay between food security, climate change, population, water, and renewable energy desalination in five Arab countries: Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Using a comprehensive econometric approach: an Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag approach (ARDL) and Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) technique spanning 1990–2022, to explore the short- and long-run dynamics of these relationships and identify causal linkages. The ARDL results reveal a mixed outcome. While renewable energy desalination capacity holds potential for enhancing food security in all countries, its impact depends on cost and government support. The cost of desalination negatively affects food security in most cases, highlighting the need for cost-effective solutions. Climate change poses a significant threat, particularly in Morocco, Egypt, and Jordan, but it may also offer unexpected opportunities for KSA and UAE. Population growth, unsurprisingly, strains food security across the region. Water scarcity emerges as a major challenge, especially for Jordan. The Granger causality tests uncover bidirectional relationships between renewable energy desalination, climate change, and water in Morocco and Jordan, suggesting their interconnected influence. In Egypt, population, water, and food imports drive the system, while KSA and UAE exhibit complex dynamics with renewable energy desalination and food imports acting as key drivers. Policymakers facing the complex challenge of food security in Arab countries should take note of this research’s multifaceted findings. While renewable energy desalination holds promise, its success hinges on reducing costs through technological advancements and government support, particularly in Morocco, Egypt, and Jordan. Climate change adaptation strategies must be prioritized, while recognizing potentially unexpected opportunities in regions like KSA and UAE. Additionally, addressing water scarcity through innovative resource management is crucial, especially for Jordan. Managing population growth through family planning initiatives and promoting sustainable agricultural practices are vital for long-term food security. Finally, the identified causal relationships underscore the need for integrated policy approaches that acknowledge the interconnectedness of these factors. By tailoring responses to the specific dynamics of each nation, policymakers can ensure effective interventions and secure a sustainable food future for the region.

Pre-Feasibility Analysis of a Desalination Plant Powered by Renewable Energy in Thira, Greece

Renewable energy desalination is an excellent solution for areas lacking electrical grid connection or any other source of energy. However, the economic feasibility of renewable energy desalination compared to desalination using grid energy has not been extensively researched. This report presents a technical and financial pre-feasibility assessment for solar and wind energy desalination, compared to conventional desalination in Thira island (Greece). The technical assessment involves design of a desalination unit with a capacity of 1000 m^3per day, using ROSA software. The financial feasibility analysis is carried out using RETScreen, a ‘Clean Energy Project Analysis Software’. The report presents two case scenarios: Solar and Wind power compared to diesel generators, to desalinate seawater. The outcome of this report is to use our feasibility analysis to support implementation of renewable energy desalination in large and medium population locations, besides rural areas, located in geographic regions similar to Thira island. The results of our feasibility analysis reveal a good potential for the development of renewable energy desalination projects: implementing the wind energy option would generate a net present value of 732,295€ with an attractive payback period shorter than 6 years

Renewable Energy Desalination for Island Communities: Status and Future Prospects in Greece

Energy and water are two of the most important components required to ensure prosperity and sustainable development to societies. This paper aims to review the status of renewable energy desalination for Greek islandic communities, deployed in two axes. The first one reviews the desalination systems state of the art technological solutions, their energy needs, how renewable energy may be employed and finally the cost of renewable energy desalination is investigated. The second axis focuses on Greek islands per se, where the current situation is investigated, potential solutions for meeting the water needs are evaluated, all leading to the proposal of a methodology towards designing an appropriate and applicable approach in addressing the water needs. Finally, a discussion takes place on how such options might be further deployed, particularly regarding the impacts they may produce for the livelihood and the future prosperity of the pertinent communities, and at the same time supporting the energy transition towards the EU Green Deal goals.

Off-grid SeaWater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) desalination driven by hybrid tidal range/solar PV systems: Sensitivity analysis and criteria for preliminary design

This paper deals with innovative renewable energy (RE) - powered seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) plants based on tidal range/PhotoVoltaic (PV) systems as a hybrid technology with interesting prospects to promote the RE desalination at medium to large capacity ranges. Key features to enhance solar PV with tidal range energy are the good temporary complementarity of both options and the predictable water production pattern that the tidal range plant allows, along with ensuring water production at night. Once the basic sizing of a power plant referred to a 20 MW turbine is conducted, the sensitivity analysis of main performance parameters of the hybrid solar/tidal desalination system is carried out through yearly simulations. With this analysis, an extension of the knowledge about the performance of hybrid tidal/solar desalination is gained in such a way that three useful design criteria are derived from the results: i) total investment cost per unitary water production, ii) energy consumed in desalination to total energy production, and iii) energy non-useful for desalination. Recommended designs are provided under each of these three criteria for given yearly freshwater demand with SWRO plants of 3.5 and 4.8 kWh/m3 of specific energy consumption. Results proves that off-grid SWRO desalination powered by hybrid tidal/PV systems in a favorable location achieves actual water production of one half of nominal production with adequate selection of design parameters. Recommended sizing of the energy generator for minimizing capital costs corresponds to 20 MW tidal/25–27 MWp PV per 12 MW of SWRO consumption. Additionally, in absence of realistic costs data, the recommended design criterion for the plant sizing relies on the ratio of energy used by the desalination plant to that produced by the hybrid tidal/PV generator. Results at an exemplary plant location show that 14.1 × 106 m3/y of fresh water obtained with desalination consumption of 3.5 kWh/m3 needs 2.0 MW tidal/26.9 MWp PV. This energy system would produce 10 × 106 m3/y considering 4.8 kWh/m3 of specific consumption.

Integration of Wind Energy and Desalination Systems: A Review Study

Desalination is a well-established technology used all over the world to mitigate freshwater scarcity. Wind-powered reverse osmosis plants are one of the most promising alternatives for renewable energy desalination, particularly for coastal areas and islands. Wind energy can satisfy the high energy consumption of desalination while reducing costs and CO2 emissions. However, the mismatch between the intermittent availability of the wind resource and the desalination’s power demand makes the integration between the two technologies critical. This paper presents a review of wind-powered desalination systems, focusing on the existing topologies and technological advances. An overview of the advantages and disadvantages are analysed based on the theoretical and experimental cases available in the scientific literature. The goal of this work is to show the current status of wind-powered desalination and to present the technical challenges that need to be overcome in order to ensure a sustainable freshwater source.

Desalination Research and Development in Saudi Arabia: Experience of the Center of Excellence in Desalination Technology at King Abdulaziz University

Membrane technology is growing very fast and it is used in several main applications from desalination, water and wastewater treatment to medical, biotechnology and gas separation field. Different membrane processes are applied depending on the applications from more traditional pressure-driven membrane processes (Microfiltration, MF; Ultrafiltration, UF; Nanofiltration, NF) to more advanced ones as Membrane contactors (Membrane Distillation, MD; Membrane Dryers; Membrane Emulsifiers) and membrane processes integrated with renewable sources. In this contest, the development of innovative materials, as nanocomposite membranes as well as the study of innovative membrane processes, as MD, are part of the latest scientific research most of the universities and research centers are focusing their efforts on. These topics are also part of main research activities of Center of Excellence in Desalination Technology (CEDT) at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and there will be described in details in next sections. CEDT is also involved in membrane processes and applications, renewable energy desalination, as well as computational modeling and simulation of membrane processes.

A Review of the Water Desalination Systems Integrated with Renewable Energy

Water and energy are indispensable entities for any flourishing life and civilization. The water and energy scarcities have emerged due to the dramatic growth in the population, standards of living, and the rapid development of the agricultural and industrial sectors. Desalination seems to be one of the most promising solutions to the water problem; however, it is an intensive energy process. The integration of the renewable energy into water desalination systems has become increasingly attractive due to the growing demand for the water and energy, and the reduction of the contributions to the carbon footprint. The intensive investigations on the conventional desalination systems, especially in the oil-rich countries have somewhat overshadowed the progress and implementation of the renewable energy desalination (RED) systems. The economic performance evaluation of the RED systems and its comparison with conventional systems is not conclusive due to many varying factors related to the level of technology, the source of energy availability, and the government subsidy. The small RED plants have a high capital cost, low efficiency and productivity which make RED systems uncompetitive with the conventional ones. However, the selection of the small RED plants for the remote arid areas with small water demands is viable due to the elimination of the high cost of the water transportation, and the connection to the electricity grid. The purpose of this paper is to review the technology, energy, and cost of the recent available desalination systems and their potential to be integrated with the renewable energy resources. This review suggests that the solar still distillation (SD) system, which is simply a natural evaporation-condensation process, is the most practical renewable desalination technique to be used in the remote arid areas; however, a further research is required to enhance their performance and to increase the productivities of these systems.

Bridging the Maghreb’s water gap: from rationalizing the virtual water trade to enhancing the renewable energy desalination

The debate about the water resources shortages and finding appropriate solutions to close the water gap in many regions is still not finished. The Mediterranean region is among the most arid regions in the world and hosts more than the half of the world’s water-poor population. The situation is more severe in the southern shore of the Mediterranean, in particular, the Maghreb countries. In this region, water resources are very limited and polluted and most countries rely on groundwater yet overexploited. On the other hand, several factors, including rapid economic growth, expanding populations and changing climate, are driving up demand for water. This pushes forward the Maghreb countries to more and more rely on non-conventional and costly water resources such as wastewater treatment and desalination. Obviously, this bears a heavy burden on the economic growth within these countries. In this paper, rationalizing the virtual water trade and enhancing desalination using renewable energy are presented as two promising options to bridging the Maghreb’s water gap.

Renewable water: Direct contact membrane distillation coupled with solar ponds

Desalination powered by renewable energy sources is an attractive solution to address the worldwide water-shortage problem without contributing significant to greenhouse gas emissions. A promising system for renewable energy desalination is the utilization of low-temperature direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) driven by a thermal solar energy system, such as a salt-gradient solar pond (SGSP). This investigation presents the first experimental study of fresh water production in a coupled DCMD/SGSP system. The objectives of this work are to determine the experimental fresh water production rates and the energetic requirements of the different components of the system. From the laboratory results, it was found that the coupled DCMD/SGSP system treats approximately six times the water flow treated by a similar system that consisted of an air–gap membrane distillation unit driven by an SGSP. In terms of the energetic requirements, approximately 70% of the heat extracted from the SGSP was utilized to drive thermal desalination and the rest was lost in different locations of the system. In the membrane module, only half of the useful heat was actually used to transport water across the membrane and the remainder was lost by conduction in the membrane. It was also found that by reducing heat losses throughout the system would yield higher water fluxes, pointing out the need to improve the efficiency throughout the DCMD/SGSP coupled system. Therefore, further investigation of membrane properties, insulation of the system, or optimal design of the solar pond must be addressed in the future.

Renewable energy desalination: performance analysis and operating data of existing RES desalination plants

During the last decades, several small autonomous brackish or seawater desalination units driven by renewable energy sources (RES) have been developed within EU and non-EU projects around the world. A significant number of these units were designed, developed, and operated by research centers/universities, in collaboration with companies working in the field of RES and desalination, in their own premises (laboratories) in order to investigate the reliability and performance of the technologies matching in small-scale and autonomous operations. Some systems were also developed for the supply of fresh water to remote areas, and particularly to cover the needs of small villages or communities. Few renewable energy desalination units were installed by RES/desalination market stakeholders as already commercially available products. The present work aims at analyzing the story and operation of selected RES desalination units, representative of a larger number of systems operating all around the world at present. The advantages and disadvantages of the technologies matching, problems encountered, and their solutions, costs, units’ performance as well as the progress of market-available RES desalination packages will also be presented.

A new visual library for modeling and simulation of renewable energy desalination systems (REDS)

The recourse to renewable energy systems in general has become a reality. Thus, it has become very important for engineers to design and simulate such systems that serve the renewable desalination plants. A computer software package has been developed by the authors for design and simulation of renewable energy desalination systems (REDS). This was motivated by unavailability of such packages in the literature or on a commercial scale. Solar desalination systems, wind desalination systems, and geothermal desalination systems software libraries became affirmative parts of the main REDS software library. This library enables the user to construct different configurations by clicking the mouse over the required units (blocks). The interface aids designers, scientists, and operators to perform different analyses and calculations such as energy, exergy, cost, and thermoeconomics. Typical desalination processes such as a multi-stage flash, multi-effect distillation, and reverse osmosis are numerically modeled and embedded within the main library of the developed software. REDS shows a wide scope of validity, reliability, and capability to model and simulate renewable desalination systems.

A Natural Driven Membrane Process for Brackish and Wastewater Treatment: Photovoltaic Powered ED and FO Hybrid System

In isolated locations, remote areas, or islands, potable water is precious because of the lack of drinking water treatment facilities and energy supply. Thus, a robust and reliable water treatment system based on natural energy is needed to reuse wastewater or to desalinate groundwater/seawater for provision of drinking water. In this work, a hybrid membrane system combining electrodialysis (ED) and forward osmosis (FO), driven by renewable energy (solar energy), denoted as EDFORD (ED-FO Renewable energy Desalination), is proposed to produce high-quality water (potable) from secondary wastewater effluent or brackish water. In this hybrid membrane system, feedwater (secondary wastewater effluent or synthetic brackish water) was drawn to the FO draw solution while the organic and inorganic substances (ions, compounds, colloids and particles) were rejected. The diluted draw solution was then pumped to the solar energy driven ED. In the ED unit, the diluted draw solution was desalted and high-quality water was produced; the concentrate was recycled to the FO unit and reused as the draw solution. Results show that the water produced from this system contains a low concentration of total organic carbon (TOC), carbonate, and cations derived from the feedwater; had a low conductivity; and meets potable water standards. The water production cost considering the investment for membranes and solar panel is 3.32 to 4.92 EUR m(-3) (for 300 days of production per year) for a small size potable water production system.

Overview of existing water and energy policies in the MENA region and potential policy approaches to overcome the existing barriers to desalination using renewable energies

Most countries in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region currently face water scarcity and rising water demand. In order to respond to these challenges, many MENA countries proceed to the use of desalination. As desalination processes are highly energy-intensive, the use of conventional energy for the operation of desalination plants contributes to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions, with negative impacts on the water cycle. The use of renewable energy sources to supply desalination plants with electricity can be a more sustainable and environmentally friendlier option to bridge the water demand gap. The present paper outlines the main barriers to desalination using renewable energies (referred to in short as ‘renewable energy desalination’, RED) in most MENA countries, gives an overview of main features of the water and energy policies in the MENA region, and compares them to the framework conditions in Australia or Spain. Supportive policy approaches to overcome the existing barriers and to promote RED are highlighted. The paper advocates the importance of adopting a more consistent legal framework to foster the deployment of RED and thereby reduce the effects of climate change and water scarcity.

On the Conceptual Design of Integrated National Renewable Energy and Water Desalination Infrastructure Systems

Abstract The Qatar National Food Security Programme (QNFSP) is an initiative by the Heir Apparent of the State of Qatar, HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, with the broad remit of developing a sustainable solution to the Nation's current food insecurity due to almost complete dependency on food imports. QNFSP develops a comprehensive solution that covers multiple dimensions from policies and regulations through to infrastructure design. Part of the solution will be an increase in domestic agricultural production, which necessitates significant additional desalination capacity. For reasons of sustainability, the energy demand from desalination will be met by renewable and clean energy sources. Besides desalination and energy generation, aquifer storage will be a key component of the QNFSP infrastructure. Complex interactions exist between the different QNFSP water and energy infrastructure components as well as with already existing infrastructure components in other sectors. A number of alternative scena...

How green solar desalination really is? Environmental assessment using life-cycle analysis (LCA) approach

In this study, we compare three desalination based alternatives for water supply in off-grid areas, and assess their environmental footprint. The three options are: (a) a solar still, (b) a photo-voltaic (PV) powered reverse osmosis (RO) unit, and (c) water delivery by truck from a central RO plant. By use of life-cycle analysis (LCA), a comprehensive environmental modeling of the three systems is carried out. The basic systems, components and processes are modeled, and then varied, in order to offer a deeper insight into the robustness of the model.Our findings indicate that energy generation and materials usage are critical parameters when the considered alternative options are compared. Of the three options, PV-RO is found to have the least environmental impact. The usefulness of this study is that it provides policy-makers insights into renewable energy desalination for clean water production and, thus, it promotes the deployment of low-carbon desalination technologies.

Renewable energy fueled desalination in Israel

The projected negative effects of climate change on the global water distribution and a steady rise in demand have made water scarcity a prominent topic on political agendas. Confronted with the prospect of increasingly severe water shortages, many governments turn to desalination as the panacea for their problems. This is particularly true for Israel, which is currently exploiting most of its available renewable water resources and has been confronted with severe droughts during the past years. Conventional desalination, however, is based on fossil fuels, causing it to be inherently unsustainable. Desalination based on renewable energy can prove to be a viable alternative to conventional desalination. This article evaluates the feasibility of large-scale renewable energy desalination plants in Israel. In doing so, it examines the economical and environmental aspects of large-scale renewable energy desalination plants and analyses the water market in Israel. In the long run, the disadvantages of fossil fuels and the benefits of renewable energy for the Israeli economy advocate the rapid introduction of renewable energy for desalination and other uses. The most promising form of renewable energy in Israel is concentrating solar power. Recommendations and suggestions on how to facilitate the introduction of concentrating solar power are presented in the end of this article.

ProDes methodology for supporting the use of renewable energy systems in desalination applications

ProDes started on the 1st of October 2008 and it will run initially for 2 years. It brings together 14 leading European organisations and will support the market development of renewable energy desalination in southern Europe. Using renewable energy to power desalination, either in standalone or grid connected systems, will allow better load control and consequently wider renewable energy use. The project has four phases. First, the foundations will be laid for European wide R&D coordination and a dedicated industry working group will be established within the European Desalination Society. A course for students and professionals will be developed and implemented initially in four southern European countries, and also later through other interested institutions. The course will be also offered as an e-learning option. Phase 2 facilitates communication and networking among the industry, investors and SMEs on the local level. Emphasis will be put on helping companies raise capital for further product develo...

Renewable energy desalination plants for the Greek islands—technical and economic considerations

For the majority of the Greek islands, water resources are quite restricted, limiting the economic development of the local societies. To face increased potable water requirements, more than 2,500,000 m of clean water is transferred annually to these islands at a cost approaching the value of 7 /m 3 On the other hand, the final cost of the locally produced water from renewable energy sources (RES) based desalination plants is expected to be quite lower than this value. The main purpose of the present study is to examine the economic viability of several representative desalination plant configurations based on the available renewable energy sources using an integrated cost-benefit analysis. In the proposed analysis all the cost parameters of the problem are taken into consideration, including the capital cost of the desalination plant, the annual maintenance and operation cost, the energy consumption cost, the local economy annual capital cost index and the corresponding inflation rate. The calculation results obtained definitely support the utilization of RES-based desalination plants as the most promising and sustainable method to satisfy the fresh, potable water demands of the small- to medium-sized Greek islands at a minimal cost, without disregarding the considerable environmental and macro-economic benefits.