A pilot project of solar water desalination has been launched in Oman, which could go a long way towards solving water salinity in a sustainable manner.
Mr. Chang-Kyu Kim, Ambassador of the Republic of South Korea to the Sultanate of Oman, has praised the project, which is part of the Korean-Omani cooperation.
The project, implemented by South Korean firm Prosave, is sponsored by the Korean Ministry of Environment and supported by the global green initiative of KISA and KOTRA. The initiative intends to alleviate water scarcity in the Middle East’s water-stressed countries.
According to the reports, a number of farms in North Al Batinah Governorate suffer from water salinity, including the farm where the project was launched. The goal of the project is to use modern scientific techniques to identify efficient solutions to the problem of salinity in agriculture.
The pilot project focuses on the utilization of solar PV-powered reverse osmosis (RO), which uses only solar energy to create electricity. Photovoltaic panels are linked to the desalination system to power the RO process.
Unlike conventional RO processes, which use a lot of energy, the technology used in the pilot project uses less energy, making the system more cost-effective.
According to the statement, “The pilot plant produces 36 tons of fresh water every day (eight hours) utilizing 56 kilowatts of renewable electricity. However, the photovoltaic component of the plant produces up to 350 kilowatts of electricity per eight hours, allowing for the surplus output to be utilized for other purposes.”
The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Omani Agricultural Association, officials from the Ministry of Agricultural, Fisheries and Water Resources, and representatives from the Embassy of South Korea, and Prosave.
