Water. Desalination + reuse
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/1019735
The California-based innovator Sunvapor was awarded $1.5 million toward a research and development project costing $2.5 million, that will aim to develop a new way of generating steam using solar-thermal energy, as well as a thermal energy storage system. See page 34. September 2018 Water. desalination + reuse Far Site 29 The US Department of Energy (DoE) has awarded $21 million across 14 research projects whose aim is to advance solar desalination. The objectives of the funding programme, announced in June, are to reduce the level- ised cost of water (LCOW) by reducing the levelised cost of heat (LCOH), to advance newly- and nearly-commercialised systems, to produce repeatable results, and to deliver market-relevant solutions. The projects will run for up to three years, and are jointly funded by DoE and the research organisa- tions. The funds were awarded to concepts that demonstrated high potential to meet the programme's objectives on cost of water and solar thermal collection and storage, as well as for ability to minimise the volume of brine produced, and reduce or eliminating use of electricity. The awards cover four topic areas: in- novations to improve thermal desalination processes and eˆ ciencies, while addressing challenges such as scaling and corrosion; low-cost solar-thermal energy collection and storage that reduces the levelised cost of heat, and incorporates dispatchability and portability; integrated solar-thermal desalination systems to improve eˆ ciency and reduce the levelised cost of water; and in-depth analysis tools to support solar- thermal desalination. The DoE's energy and water agenda The investment in solar desalination research forms part of the DoE's wider eff ort to address the challenges of interconnected water and energy systems. The department is poised to publish details of a new funding opportunity for an Energy- Water Desalination Hub, and is developing an initiative to use prizes and challenges to address critical water issues. The Energy-Water Desalination Hub is expected to comprise collaborative research teams from industry and academia, spanning science, engineering, economics, and public policy. Its purpose is to pursue a research and development investment portfolio to advance energy and water effi ciency, and cost reductions, enabling pipe parity of desalination from a range of water sources. More details on the prizes and challenges initiative are expected to be published this year. $0.50 PER CUBE Projects addressing the challenges of large scale plants, processing high volumes of low salinity water, such as a municipal seawater desalination plant, are targeting a levelised cost of water of $0.50 per cube. $1.50 PER CUBE Projects addressing challenges for small scale plants processing low volumes of high salinity water, such as brine from oil and gas operations, are targeting a levelised cost of water of $1.50 per cube.