Desalination Design Capacity vs. Actual Output in Libya Libya is an arid country with ground water as the only available source yet exploited. The insufficiency deepens and preventive measures to help the condition desperately required. Unusual sources such as sea water desalination has been used to help save the situation in the mid-seventies since it offers logical alternative for sustainable as well as long term management of increasing demand of water in Libya among other nations which experience same challenges (Dadesh, 1996). Owing to the shortage of clean as well as fresh water mostly in the coastal regions, an urgency exits of coming up with alternative sources of water to be used in meeting the demands of people as well as cater for the reduction in the levels of groundwater and desalination has proved to be on such alternative source of water that can aid in solving the menace at hand in Libya as well as other countries (FAO., 1995a). Until the year 2000, the accumulated installed desalination capacity figured 750,000m3/d. The combination of temperature and timerepresents 72% and the remaining as membrane procedures (FAO, 1995b). The approximated capacity of practicable desalination plants in very year is 332,930m3/d where the thermal process features approximately 63% with the rest being membrane processes. A decision to erect roughly thirteen desalination plants with cumulative capacity of 70500m3/d was fashioned. A few of plants are at contracting phase with some being studied. Poor adoption factor alongside heavy capital investment are negatively impacting on the unit cost of desalted water (Salem, 1997). Averagely desalted water per unit costs 2.69$/m3which is far much expensive therefore there is need for adoption of economical ways to help curb the high risks and reduce the cost of production basing the arguments on the site selection and design to operation and conservation (Salem, 1996b).
References Dadesh, A.M. 1996. Modelling the Libyan Population. PhD thesis, University of Warsaw, Poland. FAO. 1995a. [FAO/UNDP/World Bank]Water Sector Policy Review and Strategy Formulation - A General Framework.FAO Land and Water Bulletin, No. 3 FAO. 1995b. Reforming Water Resources Policy - A Guide to Methods, Processes and Practices.FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper, No. 52 Salem, O.M. 1996b. Groundwater legislation in Libya. Paper submitted to the OSS Sub-regional Meeting on the Northern Sahara Basin. Tunis, 12-15 May 1996. Salem, O.M. 1997. Evaluation of Water Resources of Libya. GWA, Tripoli