Solar-powered desalination enables Saudi Arabia to produce sustainable drinking water
RIYADH: In regions with low rainfall, desalination is a practical means of providing enough water for agriculture and human consumption, but the process of turning seawater into freshwater is known to be energy intensive.
In fact, desalination is a major contributor to carbon emissions in the water-scarce Arabian Peninsula, which is why Saudi Arabia is investing in green energy sources to power its desalination plants.
“The use of renewable energy for desalination is crucial as it contributes to reducing the carbon footprint of the operation and the cost of water production,” Sultan Al Rajhi, spokesman for the Saudi Water Authority, told Arab News.
Freshwater resources are scarce in areas where populations are growing rapidly, so desalination is essential to meet demand, he added.
“Saudi Arabia relies on desalinization due to the nature of its desert climate, where surface water and natural rivers are rare,” Al-Razihi said.
In fact, desalination accounts for around 75 percent of the Kingdom’s water supply.
“Accordingly, investments are being made in desalinating seawater to meet the demands of the growing population and economies being experienced across the Gulf region.”
Each year, Saudi Arabia requires an average of 5.5 billion cubic metres of freshwater. Demand is especially high during the Hajj and Umrah seasons, when more than one million pilgrims from around the world gather.
Home to over 37 million people, the Kingdom ranks third in per capita water consumption in the world, with agriculture alone accounting for around 84% of total water consumption.
Desalination is a complex process that removes salt and other impurities from seawater. The process requires large amounts of energy, which is why deploying renewable energy sources such as solar to power these facilities is a top priority.
“Saudi Arabia should prioritize innovative and renewable technologies to develop climate-resilient infrastructure for sustainable desalination,” Abdulaziz Dagestani, regional sales head and country director for Grundfos water businesses, told Arab News.
Grundfos is a Danish company that works with local authorities to provide innovative pumping solutions for water supply, wastewater management, heating and cooling, and industrial processes.
According to Dagestani, integrating advanced monitoring systems will help optimize desalination operations and increase efficiency.
“Using real-time data and analytics can improve water management practices and make timely adjustments to meet the changing and growing demands of human consumption and agriculture,” he said.
The Katla program, which means “drop of water” in Arabic, was launched by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture in 2020 and aims to reduce excess water use by eliminating waste and promoting the conservation and reuse of existing freshwater.
The goal is to reduce per capita water consumption per day from 263 litres to 150 litres by 2030. To achieve this, the ministry has prepared a unified framework known as the National Water Strategy for the country.
However, despite these efforts to improve the sustainability of water systems, desalination remains an important means of meeting water demand, with the adoption of clean energy sources and efficient production technologies remaining a key priority.
youknow?
• In 2023, Saudi Arabia’s desalination capacity will be 13.2 million cubic meters per day.
• The Al Khafji plant produced 7 million cubic metres of desalinated water.
• 60% of Saudi Arabia’s urban water supply is met through desalination.
• Agriculture accounts for 84% of the Kingdom’s water demand.
Located in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, the Al Khafji Desalination Plant is the world’s largest solar-powered desalination project, helping to meet the region’s water needs through an innovative and environmentally friendly approach.
The plant will be capable of producing up to 90,000 cubic metres of fresh water per day, using innovative technology developed by King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.
The company’s new solar brine reverse osmosis process uses a process called ultrafiltration in the pretreatment stage.
In this method, seawater is passed through a semi-permeable membrane which blocks salt and other contaminants, allowing only the water molecules to pass through; the resulting purified water is then collected and distributed.
Since it began operations in 2018, more than seven million cubic metres of freshwater produced by the plant has already been put to use.
“The use of reverse osmosis technology is considered to have the lowest carbon emissions as a result of improvements in energy efficiency due to developments in the sector in recent years,” Al Razihi said.
“Some desalination systems have reduced carbon emissions per cubic meter by 91 percent compared to thermal desalination systems.”
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Solar power is not the only renewable energy source that can be employed to power the desalination process.
“This is in addition to future plans to use hydro turbines to convert kinetic energy from flowing water into electricity to generate clean energy,” Al Razihi said.
The transition to renewable energy not only addresses the high energy costs associated with desalination, but also supports Saudi Arabia’s sustainable development efforts.
Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, praised Saudi Arabia’s water conservation plan, which is integrated into the Kingdom’s environmental mission, the Saudi Green Initiative.
Saudi Arabia is right to prioritize “prudent environmental stewardship and no excessive mining.”
“That is why we are so impressed with the Saudi Green Initiative,” she told Arab News.
The transition to cleaner energy sources reflects a strategic decision to increase the Kingdom’s energy efficiency and reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, while at the same time addressing the challenges posed by climate change.
Integrating renewable energy into the desalination process is a key step towards a more sustainable and environmentally responsible approach to water production.