The Cost of Brine Dilution in the Desalination Plants of Alicante

Abstract

To reduce the environmental impact of desalination plants, a good dilution of the brine is needed. Brine dilution may be carried out using diffusers, by mixing the concentrate with other effluents, or with seawater bypassing. Seawater bypassing increases the energy consumption of the plant but, thus far, this energy consumption has not been estimated. The environmental impact statement (EIS) of desalination plants in Alicante establishes a system of seawater bypassing for diluting brine and protecting the Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows. The aim of this paper is to quantify the energy consumption of brine dilution, which was necessary for meeting the environmental requirements from 2012 to 2018. During the research period, the plants’ operation was variable, as it depended on the supply needs. The results indicate that the energy consumption of the dilution systems fluctuated between 2,135,315 kWh in 2012 and 685,988 kWh in 2013, with an average consumption of 1,205,952 kWh for the selected period. The energy cost in 2012 was EUR 179,556, while that for 2013 was EUR 60,787, with an average annual cost of EUR 91,690. This interannual variability is due to the difference in the production values of the plants and in the dilution ratio, which oscillated between 2.5 and 7.5 seawater:brine. In addition, the dilution showed an additional cost of the energy consumed by the desalination plants of around 1.7% on average. However, it also allowed the fulfillment of the established requirements in the EIS and the protection of the Posidonia oceanica seagrass from the discharge of the desalination plants.

Assessment of Energy Consumption of Brine Discharge from SWRO Plants

“…The desalination plants at Alicante use a seawater bypassing system to comply with the environmental regulations and to reduce the influence area of brine. An average additional cost of 1.7% was incurred [16]. Additionally, these plants use an irrigation program to maintain the groundwater level in the saltmarsh and compensate for the effect of the intake system on the saltmarsh, but with lower energy consumption than the dilution system [22].…”

“…Finally, this study demonstrates that using a diffuser piece system to meet environmental requirements entails a very low economic cost for SWRO plants. Further, using diffusers entails a lower economic cost than using other methods, such as seawater bypassing systems [16].…”

“…Brine dilution in a marine environment can be increased by methods such as the use of diffusers (single or multiport diffusers), bypassing seawater before discharge, or mixing brine with other effluents [8,[13][14][15]. However, the use of these measures can increase the energy consumption of desalination plants [16].…”

Modeling and Experimental Validation for the Preparation of Concentrated Tea Extract Using a Forward Osmosis Process Using a Food-Grade Inorganic Draw Solute

“…The brine dilution may be carried out using a diffuser or seawater bypassing. A recent study on Alicante (Spain) desalination plant’s brine dilution resulted in an additional cost of energy consumed by the desalination plant of around 1.7% on average …”

“…A recent study on Alicante (Spain) desalination plant's brine dilution resulted in an additional cost of energy consumed by the desalination plant of around 1.7% on average. 25 The high-concentration reject brine may be potentially used as a draw solute for the FO process. First, the rejected brine can produce high osmotic pressure due to the salt concentration.…”