A study led by researchers from the Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering (IIAMA) of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) highlights combining photovoltaic solar energy in water desalination facilities can reduce the cost by up to 24%, which makes viable for use in areas with productive agriculture.
The work has been carried out by UPV researchers Miquel Àngel Martínez Medina, Miguel Ángel Pérez Martín and Teodoro Estrela Monreal in the Torrevieja, Valdelentisco and Águilas desalination plants.
A study led by researchers from the Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering (IIAMA) of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) highlights the potential of renewable energies, specifically photovoltaic solar energy, for optimization, energy efficiency and cost reduction of the desalination plants. The work delves into the challenges of desalination in Spain and has been published in the magazine “Marine Science and Engineering”. Its authors are Miquel Àngel Martínez Medina, Miguel Ángel Pérez Martín and Teodoro Estrela Monreal.
The research is based on the reality that desalination plays a crucial role in the adaptation of the water resources system in the Mediterranean regions, especially in conditions of scarcity accentuated by the impacts of climate change.
“The fragile balance between water resources, water demand and environmental demands, aggravated by climate change, can restrict economic development activities and intensify existing water conflicts,” say the authors of the study.
Importance of looking for alternative resources
Desalination in Spain began in 1964 in the Canary Islands and was extended in the following years to the Balearic Islands and the peninsular Mediterranean coast. Although initially the main use of desalinated water was for urban supply, in recent years the possibility has also opened up of extending its use to cover agricultural demands, such as in the southeastern provinces of Spain, such as Almería, Murcia and Alicante.
However, one of the main barriers has been its high cost, especially due to the price of energy. Therefore, the research has explored in detail the efficiency and economic viability of implementing different photovoltaic installations to supply energy to desalination plants, specifically the facilities in Torrevieja, Valdelentisco and Águilas.
“Combining photovoltaic solar energy in water desalination installations can reduce the cost by up to 24%, which makes its use viable in areas with productive agriculture. In basins like the Segura, which suffers from a great scarcity of resources and has a very productive agricultural sector, the cost would be less than 0.4 EUR/m³”, highlight the IIAMA researchers.
In this sense, the economic analysis revealed that the optimal size of the photovoltaic installations for the Torrevieja plant, with a production of 120 hm³/year, varies between 60 and 120 MW, while in the case of the Valdelentisco and Águilas plants , the optimal size ranges between 80 and 165 MW.
Future implications
The research highlights that the integration of photovoltaic systems in desalination plants is not only technically and economically viable, but also offers a sustainable solution for the management of water resources systems and the maintenance of agriculture. These advances represent a significant step towards the sustainability of irrigated agriculture in water-scarce systems, demonstrating that renewable energy can play a crucial role in integrated water resource management.
Furthermore, the results obtained underline the importance of investment in renewable energy as a key strategy to improve operational efficiency and reduce the energy costs of desalination, also contributing to the mitigation of climate change.
This study provides a framework for future research and development in the field of renewable energy applied to desalination, and raises new opportunities to optimize water production in a more sustainable and profitable way.
