AUTONOMOUS DESALINATION UNITS BASED ON RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS - A REVIEW OF REPRESENTATIVE INSTALLATIONS WORLDWIDE

摘要

The ADU-RES co-ordination action is an EC funded project that aims to bridge the gap between successful R&D work and commercial applications of small desalination systems powered by renewable energy. This paper reviews installed units in order to define the state of the technology. Ninety-one plants were identified and sixteen of them were reviewed for their technical and economical performance. The examined units desalinate brackish or sea water and employ different technologies including: solar thermal distillation, wind energy or photovoltaic panels (PV) combined with revere osmosis (RO) as well as mechanical vapour compression driven by wind turbines. It was found that the technology has made significant progress over the past years. Still, cost-effective solutions have to be developed especially for the scaling of the membranes caused by the intermittent operation or the corrosion because of the high-temperatures. Also the energy efficiency and the controlling of the systems have to be further developed. The first products are in the market and will improve through competition and experiences resulting from implementation in real conditions for long periods.