KENYA – GivePower, a US-based organization specializing in clean energy, has installed a solar-powered containerized water desalination system in Mshomoroni, a suburb of Mombasa County, Kenya. The system, operational for 20 years, has a capacity of 75 m3/d and treats both salty and brackish water, eliminating contaminants like salt, viruses, bacteria, and fluoride. The hydraulic system is powered by a small photovoltaic solar power plant on the container, with a battery-powered storage system for nighttime or bad weather. This is the fourth such system installed by GivePower in Mombasa, contributing to improved access to drinking water and reducing water-borne diseases. (Afrik21)
INDIA – The third desalination plant in Nemmeli, with a capacity of 150,000 m3/d, is expected to be ready by mid-November. The $197.18 million project is in its final stages, with a 48.10-km-long pipeline and water distribution facility already completed. The desalination plant, set to operate on a trial basis later this month, will initially supply 25,000 m3/d of water, gradually increasing to its maximum capacity in two months. The plant will cater to a population of around 900,000 in southern parts of Chennai. Preliminary work for the construction of the fourth desalination plant at Perur has also begun. (The Hindu)
MOROCCO – The Tangier seawater desalination project, initially contracted with Israeli company Mekorot in February 2023, has been unexpectedly canceled by the Moroccan government due to the reported lack of suitable land for construction. The desalination plant aimed to address persistent water stress in the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region. The cancellation has led to economic repercussions, including the halt of work on the technical and environmental assessment of the plant, costing around 2.1 million euros. Instead of the desalination plant, the government plans to build a water highway, passing through a canal linking Oued El Makhazine to Ketama and Bni Garfet to Larache, to meet the region's water needs. (Afrik21)
INDIA – The BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) in Mumbai will invite tenders for a desalination project in the seaside village of Manori to provide potable water to Malad and Kandivali residents. The initial capacity of the desalination plant will be 200,000 m3/d, with potential expansion to 400,000 m3/d. The budget allocates $27 million for the project, with $279 million for construction and 20 years of energy costs. Renewable energy sources will be utilized to make the project economically viable. The treated water will be distributed to Malad and Kandivali, reducing dependence on the Bhandup filtration plant. The desalination plant will occupy 12 hectares of government-owned land in Manori. The marine work and structure constructed in the sea will have a 400,000 m3/d capacity, and an intake pipe will extend three to four km into the sea, connecting to the desalination plant on the shore. The use of renewable energy is expected to reduce operation costs, making the cost of treating seawater comparable to that of water from the city's seven reservoirs. (Hindustan Times)
MIT engineers and collaborators developed a solar-powered device that avoids salt-clogging issues of other designs. Credit: Jintong Gao and Zhenyuan Xu
SCIENCE – Engineers at MIT and in China have developed a solar desalination system inspired by the ocean and powered by the sun, aiming to turn seawater into drinking water. The passive device takes in saltwater and heats it with natural sunlight. The configuration of the device allows water to circulate in swirling eddies, similar to the ocean's "thermohaline" circulation, driving water to evaporate, leaving salt behind. The resulting water vapor can be condensed and collected as pure, drinkable water, while the leftover salt continues to circulate through and out of the device. The new system has a higher water-production rate and salt-rejection rate than other passive solar desalination concepts, potentially making drinking water produced by sunlight cheaper than tap water. (MIT News)