A Solar Desalination Plant Offers Great Hope To Save Thousands Of Lives
A tremendous achievement was made in Kenya in 2018. An NGO(non-government organization)called Give Power had been in Africa installing solar powered electricity to over 2,600 schools.
They knew one of the biggest health concerns and threats is the lack of clean drinking water in much of Africa. In fact, it has reached a crisis level made considerably worse in times of drought.
So they set out to use their solar expertise to build a solar desalination plant.
Desalination is the process of turning salty ocean water into pure drinking water with the salt removed.
The project was a great success and has been operating for two years, providing enough clean water for 35,000 people each day.
The plant uses the sun to power pumps which are able to run 24 hours a day, forcing salt water through a membrane which filters out the salt.
Far superior than traditional methods
This plant is run 100% on solar energy and uses no chemicals like the big traditional plants.
THEY use a scary amount of pH adjusters, coagulants and flocculants, deposit control agents, antiscalants, dispersants, biocides and reducing chemicals and of course chlorine.(that's alot of junk!)
The traditional plants look like oil refineries They're massive, complex, and cost a fortune:
And Give Power proved that it can be done a better way. And although they made a relatively small one, they claim it is totally scalable.
Check out this great video, it's only 4 minutes long and gives some very encouraging information:
I'm not sure why but others aren't building these. I think it comes down to not having the money.
Give Power is working in the United States now, building a large solar farm on the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation in North Dakota.
There are 166 or so desalination plants in operation but besides this one in Kenya there are very few(if any) 100% Solar plants which is what is needed of course.
Namibia commissioned a 100% solar plant to be built last year but I don't know if it was. A Raddisson hotel in Cape Town, South Africa built their own desalination plant for the hotel using reverse osmosis filters.
Always comes down to money
Of course the desalination plants are only along the sea coasts now so the clean water would have to be piped or trucked into the interior and the costs would probably prohibit that massive undertaking.
That's where the wealthy countries should get together and help their fellow man. Lack of clean water is killing thousands of people in Africa every year because of diseases picked up from the polluted water.
Regarding the success of the Kenya plant I think this photo says it all:
Thanks for stopping by folks, God bless you all!
-jonboy
Texas
PS- Hey guys, here's something you might find interesting. There's a company in Idaho, U.S.A. that will take the ashes of a beloved pet and infuse them into glass artwork of any design you want.
They'll even make them small enough to wear as jewelry. Here's just one example and here is their website.
A waste of money or meaningful? Prices vary but roughly $50 to $150.
There was a man in Tulsa that patented a process that used water filter salt, to chlorinate pool water, by electrically removing the sodium.
This same process should work on ocean water, leaving chlorinated water!
:)>Well that sounds so simple but these big plants look gigantic and super complex, not to mention costing a fortune, what's the deal? Doesn't Give Power's method sound even simpler?
The only input is sea water, and the osmotic membranes don't clog up. Just an idea I have been thinking about.
:)>Well I was going to mention that maybe someone here could engineer a good system and I was gonna mention you and I would have if I'd known you were thinking about it! Why would you be thinking about it?
Positive transfer. Taking unrelated information and using it elsewhere can be earth shattering.
I think about a lot of stuff...keeps the mind running.
:)>ok. sounds dangerous but ok.
Life is dangerous, but danger can be mitigated using brains.
:)>Oh. No wonder Oklahoma is such a dangerous place.
We have to do something to protect ourself from Texans....
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Very positive progress in Kenya!
That jewelry is an amazing idea! But I wonder if it will make money!
Howdy sir kaminchan! I agree about Kenya and I think the pet memorial glass works of art will be a big success, just my guess though!
What a beautiful way to serve humanity. Thank you for posting this, my friend!
Howdy sir lydon.sipe! I agree, I really like that Give Power organization but I think they need more funding.
Hi, @janton!
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Howdy there steem-plus! Thanks so much for the upvote!
That monstrosity there looks like it is gas powered. Gas is great because you get explosive energy (like in a car or airplane) and heat energy (like in a torch or bbq). Modern gas plants make good use of both. May as well desalinize the water with waste heat or excess energy while you are at it.
Although it looks ugly and spews out carbon, it's also a beautiful achievement of modernity. That said I'd rather have the solar plant near me, or better yet, just live by a pristine lake or stream.
Very good points sir abitcoinskeptic! I have confidence that they will have the solar plants everywhere in a few years if the money is there because the water shortages are getting worse all the time. Hopefully over there they don't have shortages of water.
Korea has lots of water. Plenty of reservoirs collect the water during the rainy reason and we use it during the rest of the year. This has been happening for thousands of years. Let's keep hoping for regularity.
Rain or the water cycle is the greatest natural achievement of solar energy.
Solar is great, but sadly due to the atmosphere it isn't really efficient here. A few panels for small applications, especially in remote locations is great, or large ones built on marginal land is fine too. Seeing it on roofs, over parking lots, along roads, on mountains and reservoirs is good. Sadly, some people are covering up farmland because government subsidies are a little too encouraging.
Very interesting sir abitcoinskeptic...so the government likes the idea but like you said the climate isn't exactly ideal for it. Well the technology is improving fast so it'll probably work there with the new equipment in the coming years.
One of the things scientists are excited about regarding the quantum computers are the possibility of creating nuclear fusion which will mean powerful, clean, free energy to power everything.
We have seen a revolution in solar, years ago it was pretty much limited to science projects and calculators, we have come a long way. But, there are 2000 coal powerplants under construction or newly built and the world's demand for energy keeps increasing.
The commercialization for nuclear fusion will be an amazing and absolute game-changing technology for humans. It will be complicated and large for the foreseeable future but should make energy so abundant and cheap that we can just zap water to get hydrogen for fuel cells which has an energy density that lithium batteries cannot come close to matching. I hope to see this happen during my lifetime. I didn't know quantum computers would help this be achieved sooner, seems neat.
Howdy again sir abitcoinskeptic! You sound like a scientist! I had no idea there were that many coal plants still being built, in China mostly? I've heard the term "clean coal" but I doubt if they're building that kind.
I'll try to keep abreast of the fusion technology development because I agree, it would create a whole new world of pollution free energy.
They are mostly being built in China and the developing world. In places where there isn't enough energy and the budget is tight, being worried about green energy is a low priority.
Clean coal just means the power station is newer. For example, everyone wants their plant to produce as much energy as possible using as little coal as possible. No one is against increased efficiency.
Plants should also look okay and not spew out black smoke. A few simple and inexpensive tricks can make the smoke appear light grey or offwhite (think cigarette filters or water pipes/bongs), fortunately it also cleans up some of the worst junk and pollutants. In the long run, it is cheaper because there will be fewer health issues and environmental pollution.
However, the largest issue remains which is CO2. You cannot remove this with a stack filter. Carbon capture is expensive. This is where solar has a huge advantage. However, it's not really a local problem and the developing world doesn't feel responsible.
Howdy today sir abitcoinskeptic! Very interesting information here, thank you. China does what it wants so it's gonna be tough to get them to change their ways. But if scientists can harness fusion energy that'll change everything.
Hiya janton, sounds so simple doesn't it - wealthy people and companies putting money into fantastic water making ventures using solar power techniques. But, alas greed is one of the great vices in this world. If I had a few billion dollars I would do anything and everything for my fellow man. Fingers crossed for a big Gold Lotto win!!😊
I agree angiemitchell. It's frustrating when you see a relatively simple but very effective solution created but no one is copying that to help the people. I don't get it.
Neither do I😐
Desalination plants along our coast in South Africa have been used over the years the first time we were introduced to this was through the Comrades Run 1983 when KwaZulu-Natal were suffering a severe drought. Desalinated water in sachets was used to keep the event up and running.
Water at the time, some runners said it did not taste the same, some suffered biliousness, being an ultra-marathon it may not have been the water at all.
Using solar plants would relieve shortages when droughts occur for tap water, it should be used into agriculture all year round.
@tipu curate
Upvoted 👌 (Mana: 5/10 - need recharge?)
Howdy tipu and thank you so much!
Howdy joanstewart! Very interesting...biliousness..I had to look it up. lol. Yes it could have just been the ultra marathon.
I agree the plants should be everywhere almost. They've proven a relatively simple solution that is very effective, do you think it's a lack of funds that the type Give Power built aren't being put in everywhere?
It’s great to see safe water there as I see so many photos on TV of how bad the water is.
I don’t really like the idea of a pet’s ashes infused into glass wear or whatever. I have heard of folks keeping a smidgen of a loved one’s ashes in a locket? to wear around their neck.
Howdy again redheadpei! I agree about the water, it's such a terrible situation in many poor, rural areas and these guys proved that desalination can be done with solar so they need to start building them everywhere.
I am thrilled for the people that they have good drinking water now. Their happiness is priceless. A fantastic project!
Howdy Butterfly! How have you been? I agree, it's a tremendously encouraging accomplishment that should be copied all over the world as the water shortages are growing.
Scientists found that you can use graphene to desalinate water very effectively, but I haven't heard anything about that recently. I wonder if that's what this company is doing. That's not technically a membrane, though... It would be interesting to see what this company could pull off using that method, if they ever figure out a way to mass produce it with decent quality.
Howdy sir fotosdenada! You mean salt water can be desalinated by mixing graphene in it? That would be something if it was a simple solution. Their plant is very simple compared to others but it's very efficient.
Not exactly. You add am electric charge to it and, apparently, water can pass but the salt atoms can't. Graphene is a 1-atom thick sheet of carbon and has some amazing properties, but it's proving very hard to produce in useful quantities.
oh very interesting sir fotosdenada, it's one of those things that sounds very promising if they can improve on it.
Bookmarked that Ash to Jewelry site. Or should I just take Her to the Taxidermist....?
The L @@ k on Sammi Jo's face when I told Her i was gonna have Her Stuffed & Mounted
Ahhhh...lol...what a look! That fits perfectly. I don't know what to think about that site, I love the idea of honoring them somehow though and their method or taxidermy would both by a way of keeping their memory alive.
THEY GOTTA BRING POWER TO ALL OF AFRICA - BRING THE POWER TO THE PEOPLE
I agree stovehustler, they have the technology obviously.