Nuclear seawater desalination — IAEA activities and economic evaluation for southern Europe☆

Abstract The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has addressed the issue of seawater desalination for potable water production with renewed intensity since 1989. It has been found that there are no technical impediments to the use of nuclear reactors as an energy source for seawater desalination. Highlights of projects regarding nuclear desalination in several of the IAEA Member States are described, such as a feasibility study in Morocco using a Chinese heating reactor and facilities in India. The role of nuclear energy in the next century is discussed; economics, security of supply and the overall goal of a sound energy mix in national energy plans have been considerations in the choice of nuclear power along with an awarenness of its environmental benefits. The IAEA has developed a computer software package, Desalination Economic Evaluation Programme (DEEP), used for the economic comparison of different seawater desalination options. Its economic evaluation methodology is described. In 1998, the IAEA initiated the most comprehensive comparative study to date on nuclear seawater desalination of its kind. The DEEP software was used for the economic comparison of different seawater desalination options after a validation of the software by international experts. The study was conducted for three different regions of the world, being described by different labour costs, interest rates, and seawater conditions; in each region two economic scenarios were calculated, favouring nuclear and fossil options, respectively. Reverse osmosis, multi-effect distillation and multi-stage flash were chosen as desalination technologies to be coupled to ten selected power options, including pressurized water reactors and pressurized heavy water reactors, as well as to fossil-fueled plants (coal and combined cycle). Results are presented for the region of southern Europe. Without considering all input data in detail, and also taking into account results from previous studies, it was found that nuclear and fossil desalination yield water costs in the same range. More specific results and findings regarding a comparison between nuclear and fossil options are given in the paper. The desalination of seawater using nuclear energy is a cost competitive and feasible option for potable water production.