Integration of seawater desalination with power generation

The economic benefits of integrating seawater desalination with power plants are discussed, starting from the first principles of thermodynamics. The concepts of the “fuel-use performance ratio” and the “power loss” method are described in the context of their usage for thermal cycle evaluation and desalination process selection, both with conventional steam cycles and with combined cycle power plants. A thermo-economic model is introduced to evaluate water and power costs and rates of return in dual-purpose power/desalination applications. The future of integrated power and desalination plants is discussed with reference to the growing role of seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) in the desalination arena. A case study is presented to evaluate the benefits of integrating SWRO with existing power/desalination plants in the Middle East. Subject to the assumptions of the study, it is concluded that repowering and retrofitting would result in a nearly three-fold increase in the power generating capacity and an over six-fold increase in the water output, without requiring any expansion of the seawater intake system. Based on natural gas fuel, the repowered plant would also result in a 70% increase in the fuel efficiency of the station and a drastic reduction in the cost of water production. For a privatization scenario, an economic analysis is used to show that attractive rates of return would be obtained if a developer were to purchase and refurbish the existing plant, selling the products on a build own and operate (BOO) basis. In preparation for this promising application, the need for pilot plant testing at existing power/desalination stations, together with research and development work in membrane technology for high temperature operation, is emphasized.