Sustainable drinking and irrigation water production from saline alternative water resources

Introduction

Although alternative water resources (AWR), wastewater (WW), brackish water (BW), and seawater (SW) are reliable water sources, their use is very limited in the EU (1.6% of water supply) due to relatively high costs, quality, tech reliability, new stringent EU regulations, and acceptance. AWR contain critical materials and resources that are not being recovered, which opens an auspicious approach to generate revenues and reduce the cost of water by activating circular economy "wastewater and brine mining" schemes. Urgent new sustainable and viable solutions are needed to tackle freshwater and critical raw materials supply.

Project Objectives

LIFE SALTEAU aims to create new and updated multipurpose infrastructures with revolutionary capabilities to gain the real value of AWR. Innovative technologies will be up-scaled, including:

1. Microbial desalination cell
2. Membrane-based processes (direct nanofiltration, biomimetic and membrane distillation)
3. Capacitive deionization
4. Ca/Mg recovery system

These technologies will be coupled with renewable energy sources (solar, wind, and organic matter).

Implementation Strategy

Long-term validation will be conducted in two Demo Sites, Mediterranean and Atlantic, at a relevant scale. The production during SALTEAU will include:

• Freshwater (~400,000 m³ = 145,000 BW + 230,000 SW + 22,000 WW)
• Materials (77 t Ca and 66 t Mg)

This will serve as a showcase for early adopters and end-users of freshwater and Ca/Mg products. A comprehensive exploitation plan has already been drafted, covering:

• Value proposition
• Customer segment
• Revenue streams
• Replication

Economic Impact

LIFE SALTEAU sets a new paradigm where AWR are cost-effective by reducing energy consumption:

• 26% for BW
• 50% for SW
• 80% for WW

It also presents competitive levelized costs of water compared to conventional solutions (€/m³):

• BW (0.5 > 0.3)
• SW (0.6 > 0.4)
• Reclaimed water (0.5 > 0.3)

The adoption at an industrial scale of SALTEAU outcomes will increase water availability in the EU (by 2035) up to 8,050 Mm³/y (desal BW and SW = 10,020 Mm³/y + reclaimed water = 3,040 Mm³/y) to satisfy 5.4% of EU water demand.