The effect of the recent energy cost increase on the relative water costs from RO and distillation plant

✍ Scribed by Neil M. Wade

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1991
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 652 KB
• Volume: 81
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0011-9164
• DOI: 10.1016/0011-9164(91)85041-r

✦ Synopsis

The cost of water produced by seawater RO plant is shown to be less sensitive to energy cost mcreases than most dual purpose MSF and power plant combmations As fuel costs increase above US$ 18 per barrel, only MSF with a co-generation cycle plant comprising a gas turbme, waste heat boiler and back pressure stam turbine, remains competitive with RO plant. However power plants using gas turbines as pnme movers are more suitable for firing natural gas than heavy fuel oil, which may place limitations on their use.

The cycle efficiency of the reference plant used to generate power for RO plant, and for valumg the power exported by dual purpose MSF, also mfluences process selection RO IS cheaper than all the MSF dual purpose plants exammed, if a high efficiency combmed cycle plant is used for this purpose.