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Genco, F., & Genco, G. (2019). Nuclear desalination in Chile: a competitive solution. Desalin. Water Treat., 140, 24–34.
Abstract: Renewable energy sources are considered the main drive for developing at least 70% of the total energy in Chile by 2050. All major international greenhouse gases reduction agreements include growth of renewable energy sources and nuclear power as the only ways to significantly reduce emissions by the decade 2040-50. Chile's energy production matrix still relies heavily on fossil fuels, making very difficult to match the goal targeted by international agreements. For these reasons, the possibility of using nuclear power plants is considered. Small modular reactors (SMRs) in particular seems particularly suitable for a country like Chile for many reasons: SMRs are scalable and can provide energy in remote locations with no or limited grids (Atacama desert); SMRs can cope easily with future demands for expansion, thanks to their modularity; SMRs are cost effective and use all the latest developments in safety. This paper examines, using IAEA DEEP 5 economic software, the costs of nuclear desalinated water produced for the Chilean mining industry. Comparisons with respect to existing fossil fuels solutions show that the final cost is very competitive and allow for significant reduction of CO2 emissions.
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Mejia, H. F. G., Toledo-Alarcon, J., Rodriguez, B., Cifuentes, J. R., Porre, F. O., Haeger, M. P. L., et al. (2022). Direct recycling of discarded reverse osmosis membranes for domestic wastewater treatment with a focus on water reuse. Chem. Eng. Res. Des., 184, 473–487.
Abstract: The recycling of discarded membranes (end-of-life) represents a relevant alternative for sustainability of reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plants in the context of circular economy. This work evaluated the feasibility of using discarded commercial RO membranes in the treatment of domestic secondary wastewater to obtain water with a certain standard quality. Crossflow filtration tests were conducted to evaluate desalination and wastewater filtration performance at different operating pressures on RO membranes discarded from desalination plans at different working positions (primary M1; secondary M2). The standard manufacturer desalination tests showed a superior performance on M1 membranes, in terms of rejection (similar to 25 LMH, 97%), compared to M2 (similar to 33 LMH, 50%); both having a lower performance than a standard membrane (38 LMH +/- 15%; 99.6%). The failure is sufficient for discarding due to loss of lifespan. Moreover, in wastewater filtration tests using the secondary clarifier outlet effluent from a WWTP at different working pressures, both types of membranes were shown to be effective, with degrees of performance highly dependent on the working pressure. Thus, the operating values of permeate flux/salt rejection were between 56 and 59 LMH/ 96-97% for 600 psi: 33-34 LMH/ 94-96% for 300-psi and in the range of 10-11 LMH/ 90-94% for 80-psi test. Surface characterization of the membrane showed a pressure-related increase in fouling and bacterial adhesion post-filtration. Finally, the operating performance was verified in M1 wastewater filtration at 300 psi over long times (14 h), yielding stable and promising values (similar to 27 LMH; 96%). The permeate obtained has a low concentration of fecal coliforms (< 2 MPN/ 100 mL, 99.99% removal) and meets local standards for irrigation and drinking water in terms of conductivity, phosphorus and nitrogen concentration in treated water. (c) 2022 Institution of Chemical Engineers.
Keywords: Desalination; RO membranes; Discarded; Secondary wastewater; Water scarcity
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