Spain is a world leader in desalination and water reuse. Regions such as Murcia stand out, in which they have a reuse rate of over 90%; Another example is the Canary Islands, specifically Lanzarote, which is supplied with more than 90% desalinated water.
Even so, at the state level there is much to do to address water scarcity, which is one of the main problems facing society today. A clear case is Catalonia, which to get out of the drought would need rain equivalent to filling the Camp Nou 12,500 times.
This shortage can affect not only the supply of drinking water for domestic use, but also the availability of water for agriculture, industry and other economic uses. Furthermore, drought can contribute to environmental degradation, as lack of rain can lead to desertification, loss of biodiversity and soil erosion.
Ingenious solutions are on the agenda, but the reality is that fresh water is a scarce commodity, and desalination is making its way to correct water deficiencies. Because desalination provides water security by diversifying water supply sources and strengthens the resilience of cities in the face of water supply challenges.
“For many years now, and increasingly, water scarcity affects a large part of the world’s population. This translates into the search for alternative, non-conventional water sources, such as desalination and reuse,” says Diego de Vera, Business Development Director of GS Inima, a leading company in long-term water concessions with more than 50 years, acting in all phases of the projects in which it participates; design, construction, financing, operation and maintenance, whether using seawater and brackish water or industrial and urban wastewater.
Today, the company has more than thirty desalination plants with a total installed capacity of more than 1.8 million m3/day, which makes it possible to supply a total population of more than ten million equivalent inhabitants.
“Desalination makes it possible to obtain fresh water from sea or brackish water, providing an additional source of water, especially in regions where shortages are more pronounced. This reduces pressure on natural water resources and guarantees a more stable supply for sectors such as agriculture, industry and public supply,” explains Alejandro Torrecillas, Director of Operations at GS Inima.
GS Inima has pioneered reverse osmosis desalination, a process that converts salt water into fresh water by applying pressure to the salt water and passing it through a semi-permeable membrane.
Already in 1968, GS Inima launched the first desalination plant in Cape Verde and, in 1964, the first in Spain, in Lanzarote. Since then, it has brought water to deserts in Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Tunisia, Oman and South Korea.
The use of desalinated water has proven to be a success in irrigation communities in the east. It has provided them with a guaranteed quality resource, improving the diversification and quality of their crops. This has led to an increase in production, the recovery of overexploited aquifers and the creation of local employment.
Like any industrial process, desalination faces operational challenges to improve all its phases and achieve advances in energy efficiency. “At GS Inima we work to make the desalination process an increasingly sustainable alternative, both ecologically and economically. As proof of this we have great cases, such as the Atacama Desalination Plant in Chile, one of the reference plants with the lowest consumption worldwide, with 2.8 kWh/m³; or Barka V, in Oman, which is partially powered by renewable energy by having a photovoltaic plant with an installed power of 6.2 MWp. This also translates into 8,000 Tn/year savings in CO2 emissions,” explains Alejandro Torrecillas.
It should be noted that, “the production costs of desalinated water have decreased considerably in recent years, which makes it competitive from an economic point of view. Furthermore, without the need for subsidies from government entities that usually promote the development of this type of projects,” says Diego de Vera. “It is also important to highlight that water is a scarce commodity and that, in addition to promoting desalination and reuse technologies, policies aimed at the optimization and rational use of water must be implemented. Only in this way will it be possible to alleviate water scarcity.”
Although the sea seems like an almost infinite water resource, that is not the solution to all water problems; for Diego de Vera, reuse is just as important. “Giving new life to wastewater with treatments that allow its reuse in industrial processes, agriculture or agricultural irrigation helps free up conventional water resources.
Water reuse involves treating and recycling wastewater for use in non-potable activities. This helps conserve natural water resources by reducing the demand for fresh water. Additionally, it can improve water quality by reducing the amount of pollutants discharged into water bodies. “In Brazil, we have the success story of Aquapolo Ambiental, the largest recycled water production plant in Latin America that supplies one of the most important industrial centers in the country. This is a great example of water reuse, since, in ten years, Aquapolo produced 100 million m3 of recycled water for the industry. “A volume to supply a city of up to 50 thousand inhabitants for 45 years.”
Both technologies, desalination and reuse, help diversify water sources, increasing resilience to scarcity and drought. Furthermore, they contribute to water security and environmental sustainability, which in turn benefits the economy by ensuring a stable supply of water for key economic activities.