Town Halls along the Costa del Sol are contemplating using mobile desalination plants to help counter the drought now that the average amount of water in reservoirs stands at 16%.
Estepona has bitten the bullet and is advancing on acquiring one in the coming months. There are Spanish firms, such as the SETA PHT, that have approached Town Halls but the favourite appears to be a German, international company Boreal Light.
This company claims that not only can one of their units be installed in a month, but they are more efficient as they are powered by solar panels.
Their chief salesman for the province of Málaga, Rene Von Reth, says that their machines can produce up to 2,400 cu/m of desalinated water apt for consumption. Put another way, that’s 2,400 tonnes of water.
Each one of these desalination units costs around 900,000 euros, although the per unit price comes down depending on how many units are purchased. Herr Von Reth calculates that the Costa del Sol would need 800 portable desalination plants, costing a total of 75,000,000 euros, adding, “We can have them all in place and working with their solar-panels within 18 months.”
The company after 20 years of existence has deployed 250 units in a score of countries in Africa, The Americas and Asia.
Editorial comment: one of the drawbacks that desalination plants have is the disposal of the extracted salt, which inevitably ends back in the sea in a reduced area, causing very high salinity.
(News/Noticias: Costa del Sol, Malaga, Andalucia – Source article: E. Cabezas/Sur)
I think it is safe to assume that someone or some company has eyes on the excess salt. It would be criminal and poor business to just give up on a by product. I am not saying it would go on your chips but surely the the chemical industry use it as a raw material to make most things. Least it go to deter ants, lets face there are enough here.
John: no, as recycled water from sewage treatment plants is used for crop irrigation… and golf courses – not much green to play on after a dose of concentrated sea-water salt!
Easy , but very financially uncomfortable for some. Find those who have been abstracting illegally the much needed water. There will be some sort of records, if they pay taxes. ? Of how long they have been doing said illegal actions . Spain is renowned for it’s paperwork !!
Back fine them for every year. If unable to pay. Bankrupt them. Use those sums to go towards these plants. After all fair consumption may well have averted the coming water nightmare . Harsh, but fair.
Surely you just put the high salinity by-product into the sewage system before that goes back into the sea