More Sea Water Made Fresh

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31339, 8 April 1967, Page 17

More Sea Water Made Fresh

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright) NEW YORK, April 7. More and more countries are converting sea water into fresh water and the amount processed by the developing countries has increased fourfold in the last four years, according to a new United Nations report.

Last year 14 desalination plants were completed, with a capacity of just over 11 million gallons a day, The largest was in the wealthy oil Sheikdom of Kuwait, producing five million gallons a day. Most of these projects em-

ploy conventional sources of energy—fuel oil, natural gas or electricity—but in the Soviet Union and the United

States large-scale plants using nuclear energy are planned.

Work is beginning on a i scheme in Los Angeles which

will be able to provide 150 million gallons of water a day, as well as a 1800 megawatt power station.

The total capital cost of the project is estimated at 444

million United States dollars. But the cost of the de-

salinated water will be relatively low because of the size of the operation.

Source of Heat

A fast breeder reactor will be the source of heat for a nuclear-power desalination plant at Schevchenko on the Caspian Sea in the Soviet Union. It will have a capacity of 25 million gallons daily.

A nuclear plant, with five million gallons capacity, is planned for the United Arab Republic. In many eases, the cost of water produced by desalination is high, the report says, and it warns developing countries of the need for advance planning to make sure the plants utilise their full capacity. The report says an acute water shortage in many developing countries is likely to become more severe as a result of increases in population, irrigation and industrialisation.

In view of the growing importance of desalination, it recommends that the United Nations initiate priority studies on methods of forecasting demand for water, on the use of local energy sources and on the cost in foreign exchange of desalination plants. In 1966, plants w«e completed in the following areas: Iran, Israel, Kuwait, Bermuda, Ecuador, United States, Virgin Islands, Peru, Italy, Mala, and Britain.