Reprint of “Desalination using low grade heat in the process industry: Challenges and perspectives”

In the first scenario, a Humidification Dehumidification process was identified as a suitable technology due to its low operating temperature. In the second scenario, the low grade heat temperature was upgraded using a hybrid absorption heat pump and subsequently used to feed a Multiple Effect Distillation desalination system. These two cases were compared in terms of performances and economics. For both cases, a payback period of less than 10 years could be obtained for water price equal to £2 per tonnes of water. This is comparable to the price of home water supply. Environmental aspects were also discussed from the results of a full Lifecycle assessment. Low grade heat utilisation in both cases reduced the Global Warming Potential in comparison with fossil fuel powered systems, but toxicological impacts appeared higher in comparison to a system using natural gas.