Desalination plants are essential facilities that convert seawater or brackish water into freshwater, making it suitable for drinking, agriculture, and industrial use. They employ two main methods: thermal desalination, which involves heating water to produce vapor that is then condensed into freshwater, and membrane desalination, where seawater is forced through semi-permeable membranes to separate salts. These plants are particularly vital in arid regions and islands where freshwater resources are limited.
Despite their importance, desalination plants face significant challenges. The process is energy-intensive, often relying on fossil fuels, which can be costly and environmentally harmful. Additionally, the production of brine, a concentrated salt byproduct, poses environmental risks if not properly managed. However, advancements in technology, such as solar-powered desalination and improved membrane materials, offer promising solutions to make desalination more efficient and sustainable.
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EMODnet
"EMODnet_HA_Desalination_Plants_20210830"
"The database on Desalination plants in the EU was created in 2021 by Cogea srl for the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet). It is the result of the harmonization of a dataset provided by GWI DesalData. The dataset provides spatial information (point) on the centroid of the municipality where a given plant is located. It is available for viewing and download on EMODnet - Human Activities web portal (www.emodnet-humanactivities.eu) and will be updated every year. The dataset covers the following countries: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guernsey, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, Ukraine. Where available, each point has the following attributes: site code (ID), Location Name, Country, Position Source, Commune Name, NUTS code (NUTS 3 ID), Latitude, Longitude. A relational table provides further information for each desalination plant where data are available: Location Type, Project, Capacity (m3/d), Size, Units, Unit Size (m3/d), Technology, Feedwater, Plant Type, Award Date, Online Date, Plant Status, Customer Type, Industry Type, Customer, Holding Company, Plant Owner. More plant-specific information is available in the original dataset."
Co-funded by the European Union.