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Long‐term impact of water desalination plants on the energy and carbon dioxide balance of Victoria, Australia: a case study from Wonthaggi
Author(s) -
Stamatov V.,
Stamatov A.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
water and environment journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.437
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1747-6593
pISSN - 1747-6585
DOI - 10.1111/j.1747-6593.2009.00179.x
Subject(s) - desalination , greenhouse gas , environmental science , greenhouse , environmental engineering , carbon dioxide , energy balance , power station , engineering , ecology , agronomy , chemistry , biochemistry , electrical engineering , membrane , biology
In 2007, the state government of Victoria, Australia, announced plans to build a large desalination plant with a capacity of 150 million m 3 per year of desalinated water. Currently, the only feasible source for significant expansion of the greenhouse‐gas neutral (GGN) energy generation in the state is wind power. A criterion for GGN of a desalination plant has been formulated. In a case of no greenhouse gas contribution from the desalination plant, the criterion is satisfied if the annual growth of the electrical energy generated by GGN sources is around 6–9% for the period 2010–2070. Higher annual growth of 18% for the period 2008–2015, 8% annually for the period 2015–2035 and 6% annual growth thereafter are required if the desalination plant is contributing to the greenhouse‐gas balance of the state.