Thermal seawater desalination for irrigation purposes in a water-stressed region : Emerging value tensions in full-scale implementation
Gamboa, Gonzalo (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Palenzuela, Patricia (Universidad de Almería)
Ktori, Rodoula (Delft University of Technology)
Alarcón-Padilla, Diego C. (Universidad de Almería)
Zaragoza, Guillermo (Universidad de Almería)
Fayad, Samar (Universidad de Almería)
Xevgenos, Dimitros (Delft University of Technology)
Palmeros Parada, Mar (Delft University of Technology)

Date:	2025
Description:	12 pàg.
Abstract:	Water scarcity in arid regions has driven the spread of desalination. These systems contribute to water access but come at an intensive energy cost, and lead to brine discharge and associated environmental impacts. This work aims to investigate emerging societal issues and tensions when developing and implementing a thermal desalination system to produce irrigation water in the South of Spain. This has been done in a demonstration system for solar desalination able to recover water and salts from desalination brine. For this purpose, a context-sensitive design exercise has been implemented. First, tensions between social values expressed by diverse stakeholders have been identified. Then, a set of technical scenarios for the full-scale implementation of the system were designed and evaluated, comparing them to conventional membrane desalination. The analysis indicates high economic and energy costs to avoid the environmental impacts of increasing water production.
Grants:	European Commission 869474
Note:	Altres ajuts: acords transformatius de la UAB
Note:	Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-M
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Circular economy ; Context-sensitive design ; Design for values ; Responsible Innovation ; Thermal seawater desalination
Published in:	Desalination, Vol. 593 (January 2025) , art. 118213, ISSN 0011-9164

DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2024.118213

12 p, 3.3 MB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles