Water. desalination + reuse

Seawater desalination in China – where is it now and where is it going? REGIONS Editor's Note: The Chinese government chose the week of the International Desalination Association's World Congress in Tianjin to publish the latest of a new series of desalination yearbooks, the China Yearbook Of Seawater Desalination 2012. It reveals how the government is aiming to have its own self-sustaining desalination industry within a fairly short time. D&WR's editor, Robin Wiseman, looks at some of the content. THE YEAR 2012 in desalination in China was significant, with the National Development & Reform Commission issuing in early December the 12th Five-Year Plan for Seawater Desalination Industry Development. This stated clearly that China intended to promote "vigorously" the use of recycled water and mine water, and the desalination of sea and brackish water. Under the previous five-year plan, desalination capacity in China grew by more than 60%, with over 70 plants providing a capacity of 600,000 m3/d and five plants under construction to add another 260,000 m3/d. Two-thirds of this capacity was provided by reverse osmosis (RO) with multi-effect distillation (MED) providing most of the remainder. Only 1% used any other method. The current investment cost of seawater RO desalination is RMB 6,000-8,000/m3 (US$ 985-1,310/m3). The comprehensive water cost is RMB 5-6/m3 (US$ 0.82-0.98/m3). For distillation, the investment cost is RMB 8,00011,000/m3 (US$ 1,310-1,800) with a comprehensive water cost of RMB 6-8/m3 (US$ 0.98-1.31/m3). MED, of course, has the advantages of waste-heat use and can make use of low-grade steam or waste heat. Current problems Existing problems are cited as: • Lack of awareness of strategic significance – the importance and urgency of desalination is not fully appreciated and there is no clear orientation. • Weak national technology creation – core components are imported; the localization rate is less than 50%; and, in distillation, China trails internationally in corrosion-resistant materials, steam injectors and heat-transfer methods. • Low level of industry development – industrialization of desalination technology is restricted due to small scale of enterprises, weak manufacturing foundation and weak IDE technologies has just completed 4 more 25,000 m3/d MED units at the Tianjing SDIC power plant. • transformation of technological achievements. Manufacturers (OEMs) and contractors (EPCs) are not yet able to compete internationally. Insufficient supporting policies – Relevant policies are not perfect; the policy effort is insufficient and difficult to operate; and a centralized market mechanism to develop and use water resources has not yet formed. Guidelines and Goals The new Five-Year Plan sets out a number of guidelines and development goals to establish desalination as an important supplementary and strategic water resource. These include stronger | 14 | Desalination & Water Reuse | November-December 2013

• Cover