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Title: Feasibility study on application of sub-sea water desalination technology in the

Pearl River Delta

Energy Equipment and Technology

Authors: Lin Youtao

Chen Longjie

PAPER DEADLINE: **already submitted**

PAPER LENGTH: **8 PAGES**

SEND PAPER TO: 2015 International conference on New Energy and Renewable
Resources (ICNERR 2015)
ABSTRACT

As the saltwater intrusion is increasingly severe in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) in
recent years, more social attentions are paid to this problem. For the abundant sub-sea
water resource in the PRD, The Sub-sea water desalination technology is a potential
method to alleviate the water shortage problem. Based on the analysis of reality of water
resources and the application of sub-sea water desalination, this paper analyzes some
cases of enterprises application and draws a comparative analysis between sub-sea water
desalination technology and the current solutions, which are typically water diversion
projects, in order to discuss the prospect of sub-sea water desalination in the PRD.

INTRODUCTION

The Pearl River Delta (PRD) is one of the regions with the fastest economic
development in China. This region has rich water resources, but it is deficient in fresh
water resources, in seasonal lack and for quality. In the wet season of each year, the
water supply here is abundant and in good quality. However, in the dry season, some
cities in PRD (Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Dongguan, Shenzhen and Guangzhou) suffer from
saltwater intrusion. According to preliminary data, the land area affected by saltwater in
Pearl River estuaries is about 4.6 104hm2 [10].

__________________
Lin Youtao & Chen Longjie, School of Geography and Planning of Sun Yat-Sen University, 135
Xingangxi Rd, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
 In the past, in order to solve the water shortage problem in the dry season, the
proposed plans mainly focused on emergent storage of fresh water and water diversion
project, but ignoring sub-sea water desalination.
The sub-sea water refers to a kind of water resource between sea water and fresh
water, with the salt content higher than 1% of fresh water and lower than 3% of sea
water [3]. There is two forms of sub-sea water. One form is the long-term natural
desalination of raw sea water in the coastal mud flat; another form is the low-salinity
sub-sea water formed from the water in the coastal rivers affected by the tidewater
upstream [1]. The sub-sea water in PRD is mainly formed by the effect of salt tide
upstream.
In the 21st century, the application of reverse osmosis desalination becomes more
and more popular due to the cost reductions, and its application has largely exceeded
that of distillation [7]. China has begun to research on sea water desalination methods
since the 1950s, and after nearly 60 years of development, its seawater desalination
technology applied can mainly meet the requirements of industrial production on water.
This paper aims to propose the analysis report on application feasibility of sub-sea
water desalination technology in the PRD by comparing water diversion project and
sub-sea water desalination technology in aspects of economic cost, eco-environmental
influence and comprehensive benefits of social influence.

ANALYSIS OF WATER SOURCE STATUS IN THE PRD

Based on the previous data in bulletins of Guangdong Water Sources [4] from 2004
to 2011, we calculate annual water consumption structure (see Figure 1) in PRD. In the
chart, the water consumption takes up 33% for agriculture, while 43% for industry, 7%

Figure1. Annual water consumption of Pearl River Delta structure in 2004-2011.

for utility. The proportion of domestic water was 15%, and that account for 2%for
ecological water.
It can be seen that, the water for industry is the main water consumption in the PRD.
Concerning that industry takes an important position in the region, the investigation on
application of sub-sea water desalination can focus on industrial enterprises.
In recent years, the PRD region has been frequently affected by the saltwater
intrusion, resulting in quality-induced water shortage. According to amounts of
precipitation through annual and monthly field measurement from 1962 to 2008,
Guangdong Hydrographic Office analyzed the inter-annual change of precipitation
amount in the flood season and non-flood season, and concluded that, from 1962 to
2008, the precipitation of Guangdong in the flood season showed a rising trend.
However, in the non-flood season, the precipitation of Guangdong indicated a
decreasing trend (see Figure 2). In the PRD region, the statistical value of precipitation
changing ratio in flood season is +30.1mm/10a, while -17.9 mm/10a in non-flood
season.
The precipitation is abundant in the flood season that both rivers and reservoirs have
enough water to supply. However, in the non-flood season, due to insufficient
precipitation and some other reasons, the water supply is relatively small, and the
temporal distribution of water supply quantity is not balanced. In 2004 and 2005, the
precipitation in non-flood seasons was relatively little, so the PRD was seriously
affected by the saltwater intrusion. Though the government adopt some strategies to
deal with saltwater intrusion after 2005, such as West-to-East Water Diversion Project

Figure 2. Inter-annual precipitation changing trend in flood season and non-flood season in
Guangdong from 1962 to 2008.
and reservoir-enlarging, but these projects are only built for emergency therefore could
not be able to provide long-term solutions. As a consequence, the PRD is still facing
the serious problem of water shortage.

STATUS OF SUB-SEA WATER DESALINATION IN THE PRD

Analysis Of Saltwater Intrusion Tendency

The coastline of PRD is twisty with dense river network. Due to the thermal
expansion of sea water and melting glaciers caused by the global warming as well as
the production activities of human being, the sea level of PRD has been rising. Some
researches show that a rising sea level will aggravate the upstream of salt tide [8]. When
the sea level rises to 40cm, 0.3% salinity isoline will move up dozens of kilometers [5].
On the basis of yearly figures of salt tide (250mg/L for chlorine) upstream in dry
season recorded in 2007-2011 water resources bulletins of Guangdong Province, we
make out the relevant 2007-2011 0.25 salinity surface water isoline (see Figure 3).

Figure3.Salinity isoline of surface water of 0.25 from 2007 to 2011.

 From the figures, we can see that cities of the PRD in Guangdong that have been
influenced by the salt tide include: Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Dongguan, Shenzhen, Panyu
and Nansha of Guangzhou. In this paper, all areas with an upstream distance below the
maximum upstream distance of salt tide (0.25 salinity surface water isoline) are
theoretically considered to be a region with sub-sea water resources. Therefore, the PRD
has relatively abundant sub-sea water resources, and the resources are mainly located in
Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Dongguan, Shenzhen, Panyu and Nansha of Guangzhou.

Example Of Sub-Sea Water Desalination Technology Applied By Enterprises

In order to obtain information of the current application of sub-sea water

desalination technology in the PRD, we select some enterprises in Dongguan and do
field surveys to understand how the desalination technology works in actual production.
According to the materials provided by Dongguan Water Agencies, there are only two
enterprises adopting sub-sea water desalination project: Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings)
Limited and Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing Limited. The other enterprises can only
use storage water to produce or just stop operation during dry season.
Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) Limited, located in Mayong Town, Dongguan, is the
largest packing paper manufactured in China. Its normal production is restricted by the
tidewater in every dry season. So the enterprise put the Sub-sea water Desalination
Project into operation in 2006.
The Sub-sea Water Desalination Project of Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) Limited
adopts reverse osmosis technology. This system is composed of high-pressure pump,
control cabinet, reverse osmosis device, booster pump and low pressure flush pump, etc.
The Silting Density Index after pre-treatment is less than 4, the flow rate of water after
ultra-filtration is 2700m3/h, and the residual chlorine in sea water is 0.3-0.5mg/L. The
average desalinization ratio can reach 99.6%. At the same time, the equipment will
automatically stop if there is abnormity in the equipment operation. The flow rate of
water after reverse osmosis is 2000m3/h, the desalinization ratio is 99.7%, the recovery
rate is 75%, and the chlorine root ion of water is less than 100mg/L [9].
According to the project cost and benefit analysis materials (see TABLE I) provided
by the enterprise, the water production cost in this project is 2.5 yuan/t.
From our Survey, the other one enterprise, Lee & Man Paper Industry
Manufacturing Limited, adopt UF+RO double- membrane desalination technology, and

TABLE I. THE COST IN SUB-SEA WATER DESALINATION PROJECT.

Item Investment Electricity Membrane Change Chemical Agents Labor Maintenance

Cost(yuan/ton) 1 0.45 0.4 0.3 0.03 0.32

its cost of operation is 2.5 yuan/t. According to the materials provided by the enterprise,
it can save water by 10.8 million tons with the sub-sea water desalination technology
[6].
With the sub-sea water desalination technology, the enterprise can not only
guarantee the normal operation during dry season, but also reduce the consumption of
fresh water resources. At the present stage, the large investment in earlier stage is the
main factor of restricting large-scale application of sub-sea water desalination
technology. Butwith sub-sea water desalination technology development, the cost of
sub-sea water desalination will decrease especially in industrial production.

COMPARISON ANALYSIS OF SUB-SEA WATER DESALINATION

TECHNOLOGY AND WATER DIVERSION PROJECTS MEASURES

Water Diversion Projects is the main measure to solve the water shortage in the dry
season in PRD, We take Zhuhai West-to-East Water Diversion Project as an example
to discuss the cost of constructing a water diversion project in a certain administrative
district. Zhuhai West-to-East Water Diversion Project is mainly used for water supply
in Zhuhai salty period. In the period of salty intrusion, Guangchang Pump Station in the
downstream of Modaomen cannot draw high quality fresh water, but the water is
delivered by this project for Zhuhai and Macao via Pinggang Pump Station in the
upstream of Modaomen.
According to the cost comparison table [2] made by China Social Research Centre on
water supplementary methods in area with water shortage (see TABLE II), it can be
seen that, contrast with Water Diversion Project, saline water desalination especially for
sub-sea water desalination, is not in disadvantage, and even seems to have a certain
advantage both in point of cost and water quality.
We make comparisons of Water Diversion Project and sub-sea water desalination
technology in economic cost, ecological influences, social influences and expected
development. (see TABLE III)

TABLE II. TECHNICAL COST COMPARISON OF WATER DIVERSION PROJECT AND

SALTWATER DESALINATION.

Water Diversion Project Saline Water Desalination

Technology
Luanhe to Tianjin South-to-North Diversion Seawater Brackish Water

Average Cost 2.3yuan/ton* 5-20 yuan/ton* 4-7 yuan/ton** 2-4 yuan/ton**

Water Quality use after reprocessing use after reprocessing direct use direct use

*direct cost **comprehensive cost

 TABLE III. COMPARISON OF WATER DIVERSION PROJECT AND SUB-SEA WATER
DESALINATION TECHNOLOGY.

influences evaluation Water Diversion Project sub-sea water

desalination technology
economic cost the unit water supply cost increases the unit water supply cost
with the distance decreases with the technology
develops. Now 2.5yuan/t.

ecological advantages relieve the water supply problems in improve the use efficiency of sub-
influences the salty period; improve the water sea water in the dry season; ease
quality; adjust the ecological the water resource shortage
environment of water reception area caused by the upstream of
saltwater intrusion.
problems river channel sedimentation; land occupancy; treatment
enlargement of influence scope of problems of remainder liquid and
saltwater intrusion; water and soil loss; after-desalination water;
influence on the local climate limitation of project layout.

social influences advantages improve the living environment and relieve the water resource supply
living quality of residents problems in the dry season;
enhance the development of new
industries
problems submerge and occupy some lands; No
related problems with immigrating
residents

expected with the economic development and the with the sub-sea water
development increase of people, the water demand desalination technology
will raise and the water supply problem develops, the cost of sub-sea
in the salty period will intensify. As the water desalination will decrease
tendency for long-distance water continuously and the using range
diversion grows, the water supply cost of sub-sea water desalination will
will increase. enlarge gradually.

According to the data, the average integrated cost of sub-sea water desalination at
present in the PRD is about 2.5 yuan/ton, while the cost of Water Diversion Project will
increase with the distance. Sub-sea water desalination technology has some advantages
in influences including social, ecological and expected development partly. In general,
sub-sea water desalination technology could fit the increasing water demand in some
high-speed development region such as the PRD.
CONCLUSION

From the above analysis data including the current situation of water resource and
the application of sub-sea water desalination in PRD, and contrasts between sub-sea
water desalination and water diversion project in economic cost, ecological influences
and social influences, the paper indicates that the sub-sea water desalination technology
has a great development prospect because of its superiority in various aspects in the
PRD. The sub-sea water desalination technology can solve the water resource supply
problems in the salty period to a certain degree and guarantee the normal development
of local life and production.
By the comparison between the sub-sea water desalination technology and water
diversion project, the sub-sea water desalination technology can make better use of sub-
sea water and has fewer influences on the ecological environment and society. As the
development of sub-sea water desalination technology, the cost will decrease gradually
in the future. We can draw a conclusion that the sub-sea water technology has more
advantages than the water diversion project in a long term.

REFERENCES

1. Chi Wanqing, Wen Siqing. 2005. Research and Development of Sub-sea Water
Desalination Technology in Zhejiang Province. City and Town Water Supply
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2. China Social Economic Survey & Research Center. 2010. Research Report of
Chinese Sea Water Desalination Industry.
3. Feng Yuan. 2005. Sub-sea Water Desalination Technology Achieves a Major
Breakthrough. [EB/PL].
4. Guangdong Water Resources Bulletin. 2004-2011. Water Resources Department of
Guangdong Province.
5. Li Suqiong, AoDaguang. 2000. Sea Level Rising and Changes of Salt Tide in Pearl
River Estuary. Pearl River (6): 42-44.
6. Li Wenjun. 2012. Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing Limited. China Pulp & Paper
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