Advanced seawater treatment plant cuts energy use

A new desalination system that can produce more than 60,000 liters of fresh water a day has recently been put into operation on Guishan, an island in the Zhuhai special economic zone, Guangdong province.

According to a statement from the Guangzhou Institute of Advanced Technology, an affiliate of the Chinese Academy of Science, the desalination system is the first on the Chinese mainland to use waste heat from diesel generators to produce fresh water.

The water it produces is sufficient to meet the daily needs of 150 to 300 people, the statement said. And lab tests have shown that the water it makes fully meets national safety standards and is potable without any further treatment.

Compared with other desalination systems, which usually consume high amounts of energy, the new system, developed by the institute in Guangzhou, uses little energy and requires only relatively low heat that can be produced easily by diesel generators, said the statement published on the institute's website.

The system has a patent on it method of removing salt and other harmful elements from seawater using the heat produced by a 1,000 kilowatt diesel generator. It complies with the most advanced technological standards, according to the statement

The system will be a significant tool in resolving China's shortage of fresh water. The Chinese mainland has a long coastline, with many large islands, and an abundant source of fresh water will help in the development of tourism and related industries on remote islands, the statement said. It could also benefit the mainland's northern and inland provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions that have water shortages.

Deng Disi contributed to this story.

zhengcaixiong@chinadaily.com.cn