Seawater desalination cost breakdown

Key Operating and maintenance (Q M) cost elements for the Ashkelon SWRO project are shown in Table 3.7 (Velter, 2004). The difference between the first 5 years is attributed to the use of new equipment at the first years of the plant operations and used equipment after that time. An O M cost breakdown based on experience with seawater desalination in Spain is shown in Figure 3.22 (Medina, 2004). 

TABLE 3.7 O M Cost Breakdown for Ashkelon Seawater Desalination Project... 

Figure 7.10 Cost breakdown for seawater desalination with ultrafiltration pietieatment (a) Total life-cycle cost ( indicates a capital cost) and (b) energy cost (total 3.46 kWh/m ).

Capital Costs A typical medium-scale RO seawater plant might produce 0.25 mVs (6 MGD). For a plant with an open sea intake, seawater salinity of 38 g/1, and conversion of 45 percent, the overall cost woiild be 26.5 miUiou (1996). A capital breakdown is given in Table 22-18. Capital charges are site specific, and are sensitive to the salinity of the feed. A plant of this size would likely contain six trains. For seawater RO, the Best estimate for the slopes of the family of lines in Fig. 22-55 is —0.6 for the equipment and 0.95 for the membranes. Capital charges, shown in TaBle 22-19, usually dominate the overall economics the numbers presented are only an example. Seawater economics are based on Shields and Moch, Am. Desalination Assn. Conf. Monterey CA (1996). 

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