Use of wind energy for desalination of seawater for irrigation

Abstract

Abstract In the context of the scarcity of water resources and the population growth that the world is experiencing, the only resource still available in inexhaustible quantities is seawater. The exploitation of this resource is possible only through the use of desalination techniques. The cost of energy was always the main constraint to water desalination; scientists had to develop new techniques to use renewable energies, in particular wind energy, to satisfy the high energy consumption of desalination plants. Morocco enjoys a privileged geographical location. In fact, Morocco is surrounded by two seas: the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean. In terms of energy, Morocco has a large wind potential, especially in the south. In fact, according to the, Morocco is the fourth renewable energy producer in Africa with a capacity of 3061 MW. Within this framework, an ambitious project is currently being prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests of Morocco, the construction of a desalination plant for irrigation and a 40‐MW wind farm in Dakhla, which will serve a new irrigated area in Dakhla of 5000 ha. This desalination station and sea intake will be located 75 km north of Dakhla and will have a capacity of 100,000 m 3 /d, 30 million cubic meters per year. It will use reverse osmosis technology to produce water that meets international standards for irrigation water quality. This megaproject will have a significant economic impact on the Dakhla‐Oued Eddahab region: first, the production of nearly 500,000 t of agricultural production for an added value of about 50 million USD per year and second, the creation of nearly 10,000 permanent jobs.