EGYPT: thermodynamic solar power to desalinate seawater

Faced with water stress in Egypt, the authorities are betting on seawater desalination to meet the needs of the new towns being built in the north-west of the country. The seawater will be treated using thermodynamic solar energy.

How can seawater desalination be carried out, taking into account its characteristics, particularly in terms of energy? The Egyptian Electricity Holding Company (EEHC) is opting for desalination using thermodynamic solar energy. The state-owned company has just launched the second phase of a call for tenders for the construction of five concentrated solar power (CSP) plants as part of a public-private partnership (PPP).

Following pre-qualification, several companies have been selected. They include Aqualia, a supplier of water treatment solutions based in Madrid, Spain, the Norwegian independent power producer (IPP) Scatec, the French energy company Engie, the Emirati company Amea Power and the Japanese company Toyota Tsusho, which is stepping up its investments in the energy sector in Africa. EEHC is targeting a combined capacity of 250 MW for an investment of $270 million.

The power stations connected to Egypt’s national grid are expected to produce clean electricity for 25 years to power desalination plants with a combined capacity of 400,000 m3 per day. With this initiative, Egypt is set to take its first steps in the production of solar energy from concentrated solar power plants.