Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
A solar-assisted desalination plant was designed, constructed and put into operation on
September 1984 as part of a cooperative research program between Japan and the United
Arab Emirates (UAE) to test the technical and economic feasibility of using solar energy for
desalination of seawater[1,2,3,4]. The plant (see figure 1) has been in operation in a Umm Al
Nar near Abu Dhabi City until the year 2002 when it was dismantled. This report describes
the main features of the first year of operation and compares its economics with conventional
systems using the same desalination technology.
2. History of Abu Dhabi Solar Desalination Plant
In July 1979, when Mr. Ezaki, the then Japanese Minister of International Trade and
Industry, visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and discussed the utilization of solar
energy utilization in the UAE with Dr. Mana Saeed Al-Otaiba, the UAE Minister of
Petroleum and Mineral Resources, they agreed on a joint project between the two countries to
develop solar energy utilization for desalination of seawater.
Under this agreement, several discussions were held at various levels. On January 22,
1983, the Record of Discussion (ROD) was finally signed for the joint implementation of a
Research and Development Cooperation on Solar Energy Desalination Project by the New
Energy Development Organization (NEDO) in Japan, and the Water and Electricity
Department in the Abu Dhabi Emirate of the UAE[5].
An outline of the ROD is as follows:
•
Execusion period of the project is 3 years starting January 22, 1983
•
Location of the project is Umm Al Nar in the suburbs of Abu Dhabi City
Product water capacity of the test plant has a yearly average value of 80 m
3
/day
•
•
Research operation period of the test plant is one year
•
Japanese project executor: Engineering Advancement Association of Japan (ENAA)
The design, procurement and fabrication of the test plant started in February 1983 and the
test plant was completed in October 1984. For the following year, research operation on the
test plant was jointly conducted by ENAA and WED and was concluded in October 1985.
Upon completion of the cooperative research project, the test plant was put in operation
and was used as a research tool for a number of research projects carried out by WED. The
plant was decommissioned in June 2002 after successfully operating for 18 years producing
fresh water to Abu Dhabi City.
3. Description of Abu Dhabi Solar Desalination Plant
The solar desalination plant is designed for an expected yearly average fresh water
production of 80 m
3
/day. A simplified schematic of the plant is shown in figure 2.A bank of
evacuated tube solar collectors, whose orientation with respect to the sun has been optimized
to collect the maximum amount of solar radiation, is used to heat the collector fluid to a
maximum temperature of about 99
o
C. The effective collector area of this bank is 1862 m
2
.
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