Role of Energy and Water Systems, and
Renewable Energy and Aquifer
Management for Food Security
for
IISD-GWSP Conference on
Energy-Water –Food Security Nexus
May 1-4, 2012
Winnipeg, Canada
Magdalena A K Muir
Research Associate, Arctic Institute of North America
Board Member, Climate, Coastal and Marine Union &
Adjunct Professor, John Hopkins University
Part of Sustainable Energy Development project being
implemented cooperatively by AINA, EUCC, and JHU
Outline
Consider renewable energy and water
quality and quantity projects at different
scales, from small to intermediate to large
projects, and in islands and arid regions.
Consider managing energy and water as
integrated system; and interactions
between renewable energy, desalination,
waste water treatment, and aquifer and
groundwater management.
Consider water, energy and food security
nexus for arid regions like Qatar.
The Context: Environmental Water Stress Index
The Context: Global Groundwater Development
Nexus of Food and Water Illustrated Through Global
Transfers of Water Through Agricultural Exports
Water and Energy Nexus for Arid Regions
Including Small Island States
Integrating energy and water systems at all scales
offers unique opportunities for energy and water
security..
security
Unique role of wind, solar and other renewable
energy in small island developing states, coasts
and arid regions to achieve sustainable
development and poverty alleviation.
Wind, solar and other renewable energy can be
combined with facilities for desalination of salt
and brackish water, treatment of waste water, or
the extraction and replenishment of aquifers
aquifers..
For arid regions, renewable energy can assisting in
alleviating future water quality and quantity
caused by higher temperatures and changing
precipitation patterns.
.
Renewable Energy & Desalination & Groundwater
Desalination by renewable wind and solar energy is
evaluated in European and international projects.
Solar and wind resources modeling and wind and
solar powered desalination projects.
Important technological problems such as
intermittency of wind and solar, and counter
measures such as electricity and water storage and
hybrid energy systems are considered
considered..
Replacing fossil fuel by renewable energy to
desalinate seawater; or pumping, and treating and
returning water to aquifers could reduce costly
energy imports, eliminate greenhouse gas
emissions.
It can also support adaptation to temperature and
precipitation changes, saline infiltration of
aquifers, and growing water quality concerns.
Technologies: Development Stage & Capacity Range
Simple Solar Still
Still..
Easy, useful for emergency
but limited water and
some water quality issues
Solar Still in Yemen: Small scale at 1.5 l/day per unit.
Small to Intermediate Scale Renewable
Energy - Desalination Applications
The EU MEDIRAS project designed to
optimise solar desalination and
demonstrate cost
effectiveness/reliability.
It is intended for application in to small
islands and remote locations, and
works with solar energy.
The modular system setset-up is based on
membrane distillation, and small
distributed desalination systems with
capacity of 0.1 to 20 m³/day.
Five sites in Tunisia, Spain and Italy
which treat seawater or brackish
water with a compact or two loop
treatment system.
system.
MEDIRAS Design for Renewable Energy Desalination
Renewable Energy, Desalination and Groundwater
Issues explored in Pacific Islands
Importance of Groundwater: Brackish Groundwater in
Transition Zone of Pacific Island B
Basal
asal Water Lens
Pacific Island Water,
Water, Energy and Food
Vulnerability:
ulnerability: Tuvalu & Tokelau
Pacific Environment Community Fund :
Renewable Energy and Desalination Projects
The Pacific Environment Community Fund is a
commitment by the Japan of ¥6.8 billion
(approx US$66 million) to support Forum
Island Country projects with a focus on solar
power generation, sea water desalination
plants, or a combination of both. Samoa,
Samoa,
Tuvalu, Cook Islands and Nauru have accessed
the fund or renewable energy projects.
The Fund is administered and managed by the
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, guided by a
Joint Committee (JC).
(JC). Technical Advisory Group
comprised of expert (climate change,
renewable energy, water and sanitation)
appraises project proposals and makes
recommendations
Schematic of a wind renewablerenewable-energyenergy-driven reverse
osmosis desalination plant for brackish groundwater
Demonstration plant uses 2020ft windmills and 5050-units of
windmill/pump and
membrane processing in
parallel and in series.
Cost analysis conducted for
system cost, income, and
system salvage value.
Cost analysis suggests that
freshwater can be produced
from brackish groundwater for
small island communities at a
cost of $5.40 per 1,000
gallons.
Other feedback is that too
expensive except as
emergency drought response
(Tuvalu and Tokelau).
Large Scale Desalination: Victorian
Desalination Project, Melbourne, Australia
Will be largest desalination
project in Australia with 150
billion litres per year.
High quality desalinated water.
Architecture and landscaping
including Australia’s largest
living green roof.
Long tunnels for intake and
outlet to protect the coast
and beach, and 84km two
way water transfer pipeline.
Seven pipeline connection
points for water delivery to
Melbourne.
87km underground power line.
100 per cent offset of electricity
by renewable energy.
1. Seawater is drawn in from the ocean through specially
designed intake structures. Seawater is drawn at very low
speeds – even small fish will be able to swim against the
intake current – and a protective grill will ensure that larger
marine life can't swim into the structure.
2. Seawater intake tunnel
A long tunnel (approximately 1.2 km long) transports
seawater to the plant site and protects the marine
environment, including the beach and dune system.
3. Screening
Seawater is screened and fine particles removed.
4. PrePre-treatment filtration
Seawater is filtered to remove solids such as any remaining
sand and sediment.
5. Reverse Osmosis
Filtered seawater passes through two stages of reverse
osmosis, where it is pushed through ultra fine membranes
under high pressure. Fresh water passes through, leaving
seawater concentrate behind.
6.Remineralisation
Desalinated water is rere-mineralised to meet Australian
Drinking Water Guidelines and Victorian health requirements.
7. Drinking water is stored before it is distributed into the
Melbourne and regional water networks, where it may be
blended with water from existing catchments.
8.Drinking water is pumped into Melbourne’s water supplies.
9.Outlet tunnel
A long tunnel transports seawater under the dunes and
coast, thereby protecting the environment.
10. Seawater is diffused into the ocean with specially designed
nozzles to ensure it diffuses rapidly.
11.Coastal integration
12. Living green roof.
roof.
13. Ecological restoration
Perth’s Groundwater Replenishment Project
Groundwater project in Perth Australia will purify water from
the Beenyup Wastewater Treatment Plant, using
microfiltration,, reverse osmosis and advanced oxidation
microfiltration
(UV treatment) to produce high quality water for recycling.
The water will then be injected into the Leederville aquifer at
a location remote from existing drinking water bores,
where the water quality will be further improved by natural
groundwater processes, to provide 1.5 billion litres of
additional water for Perth's groundwater aquifers.
The aim of the project is to build community confidence, gain
regulatory approval, and demonstrate technical feasibility
to deliver groundwater replenishment using recycled water
as a new, sustainable water source option for Australia.
The plant has the capacity to recycle 1.5 billion litres a year
but as much as 25 to 35 billion litres a year could be
recycled from the Beenyup facility.
United States: Carlsbad, California Desalination Plant
Greenhouse gas emissions
from desalination is
reduced with renewable
power sources in power
supplier’s energy portfolio
portfolio..
State initiatives and
legislation to expand the
use of renewable sources
of electricity means the
emission factors of all
California power suppliers
will decrease in the future.
This statestate-wide reduction in
emissions will reduce the
Carlsbad desalination
plant’s carbon footprint
Orange County Groundwater Replenishment System
System takes highly treated wastewater that previously
would be discharged into the Pacific Ocean, and purifies it
using a three-step advanced treatment process consisting of
membrane filtration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet light
with hydrogen peroxide. The process produces high quality
water that exceeds Californian and US federal drinking water
standards. This water is used to replenish groundwater
reserves, and increase the supply of lower saline sources for
subsequent potable water production, irrigation and
agriculture. Operational since January 2008, water
purification project can produce up to 265 M litres per day of
high quality water, meeting needs of 600,000 residents.
Orange County Groundwater Replenishment System
ReRe-Injected Groundwater is Energy Storage
Hybridisation is an approach to increase the efficiency of
overall systems by synergy between energy and water
systems, and using energy as part of comprehensive
water management .
Surplus energy from intermittent renewable sources (wind
or solar) during periods of low demand and high
production could be used for water treatment.
During the low energy demand, water could be ‘banked’ into
groundwater or reservoir storage at a high rate to create
fresh water aquifers in brackish or saline zones, or
supplement surface water supplies.
Converting unsold off peak electricity or excess renewable
production into valuable groundwater in the low demand
period, for future use in the high demand period, is
effectively storing energy and using the groundwater or
reservoir like a battery.
This process could control seawater infiltration, due to
groundwater removal or rising seawater levels, by
creating hydraulic barriers to further infiltration.
Middle East Developments : Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is biggest desalinated water
producer and uses 1.5 million barrels of
oil/day. In the future, Saudi Arabia will
use solar energy to operate desalination
plants, and encourage greater energy and
water efficiency .
The first plant will be a 30,000 cubic meter
per day solar facility in AlAl-Khafji.
Khafji. A
100,000 m3/d plant will next be built, and
then country wide network. Research and
development carried out by King Abdulaziz
City for Science and Technology, the King
Abdullah University for Science and
Technology, and national science agency.
The UAE Reliant on Desalinated Water
Abu Dhabi Environment Agency is testing
solar desalination to reduce environment
impacts and energy use.
use.
Masdar City and Masdar Institute, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Water management sustainably
planned for Masdar City.
Solar
olar--powered desalination plant
provides the city's water, with
80 percent being recycled and
waste water rere-used.
The Masdar Institute, created in
collaboration with the
Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, initiated a Centre of
Excellence for Water
Technologies, led by desalination
expert Dr Nidal Hilal,
Hilal, which
focuses on membrane
technologies and optimizing
water rere-use in the UAE.
Qatar: Water - Energy - Food Security Nexus
Qatar National Food Security Programme
Master Plan
The Qatar National Food Security
Programme (QNFSP) Master Plan is a
holistic solution to food security by
expanding the four following sectors of
economic activity in Qatar:
– Renewable energy
– Desalination and water management
– Agricultural production and
– Food processing
The QNFSP would begin operation in 2014,
and be fully operational for 2024.
QNFSP Master Plan: Renewable Energy
Master Plan uses clean energy sources and
carbon reduction schemes for sustainable
and environmentallyenvironmentally-friendly operations
operations..
Development of renewable energy sector to
promote local demand for renewable
energy, and stimulate the manufacture of
renewable technologies.
This is accompanied by measures to develop
the necessary research and development
activities for longlong-term renewable sector
growth..
growth
QNFSP Master Plan: Groundwater
Qatar has surface water so groundwater is
the only accessible source of fresh water.
Due to the country's limited water
resources, Qatar relies on seawater
desalination to meet its domestic water
requirements.
At present, Qatar depends on its
groundwater aquifers for its agricultural
use, with treated water being used to
grow animal food.
food.
In the future, renewable energy will be
used to desalinate water for agriculture.
QNFSP Master Plan: Agriculture
Agriculture faces scarce irrigation water,
poor quality of the soils, and adverse
climatic conditions.
Qatar imports over 90% of its food, with an
agricultural trade deficit in 2008 of QR
4.38 billion (US $1.2 billion).
Expanding the agricultural sector requires
the introduction of “best practices” and a
farming business model that stresses
economic efficiency, optimal use of scarce
resources, minimum impact on the
environment, and profitable and
sustainable agriculture.
Qatar urged creation of a Global Dry Land Alliance at
the 66th Session of UN General Assembly, September
2011.. This Alliance will now be launched by December
2011
2012 to coincide with COP 17 talks in Doha, Qatar.
Thank you, et je vous remercie
More information available from:
Magdalena AK Muir
[email protected]
http://arctic.ucalgary.ca/research/sustainable_energy_development