China National Offshore Oil Cooperation, or CNOOC, plans to
build up China's largest seawater desalination plant in order to
help alleviate Beijing's serious water shortage.
The plant will be constructed in Tangshan, northern Hebei
Province, and will boast a production capacity of 1.4 million cubic
meters of fresh water per day.
A seawater desalination plant was under
construction in Dagang, Tianjin City, on February 5, 2007. The
handling capacity of the project per day is hoped to reach up to
100,000 tons, greatly appeasing stresses on the region's freshwater
supplies. Dagang is located to the west of the Pacific Ocean on the
shores of Bohai Bay.
In addition to providing water to the nearby chemical and
electrical companies for industrial use, including the Shougang
Group Corporation, CNOOC is conducting surveys on the feasibility
of transporting water to Beijing city for civilian use.
Beijing has been afflicted by drought for the past eight
consecutive years. Experts suggest that transferring the
desalinated seawater from the Bohai Sea to Beijing, 100 kilometers
away, is one way to tackle the capital's water crisis.
Dr. Guo Youzhi with the Chinese Membrane Industry Association
told the Beijing Evening News, in recent years, the cost of water
desalination has gradually fallen; therefore, the price of the
water is much lower than before, charged at less than 5 yuan per
cubic meter.
He said the desalinated seawater is drinkable after having been
calcified. Even adding the pipeline costs, the water would finally
be charged to Beijing residents at 4.5 yuan per cubic meter. From
this point of view, desalinated seawater is expected soon to become
Beijing's second largest source of water.
There are only seven international enterprises able to provide
the membrane necessary for seawater desalination, as well as two
Chinese companies. So, if seawater desalination plants can be set
up next to power plants in China's costal regions, the cost of
purified seawater would be greatly reduced, perhaps falling below 4
yuan per cubic meter.
According to the State Development and Reform Commission, and
some other state-level agencies, desalinated seawater is expected
to contribute 16 to 24 percent of the water supply in coastal areas
by 2010, with a daily processing capacity of up to 3 million cubic
meters in 2020.
The 15th World Water Day occurred on March 22, with the theme of
"Coping with Water Scarcity".
(CRI March 23, 2007)
