Desalination Design Capacity vs. Actual Output in Libya: An Overview

This report examines the critical issue of water scarcity in Libya, focusing on desalination as a key solution. Libya, an arid country, relies heavily on groundwater, which is insufficient. The report details the adoption of seawater desalination since the mid-seventies as a sustainable alternative. It provides statistics on installed desalination capacity, distinguishing between thermal and membrane processes, and highlights the construction of new plants. However, the report also addresses the challenges, including high capital investment and unit costs, which average $2.69/m3. It emphasizes the need for cost-effective methods, from site selection and design to operation and conservation, to improve efficiency and reduce expenses. The document also provides a detailed overview of the main reasons for low utilization rate, network bottlenecks, and spare parts availability. The report concludes with a summary of the overall state of desalination in 2011 and references supporting the information.

DESALINATION DESIGN CAPACITY VS ACTUAL OUTPUT IN LIBYA
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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 time represents 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$/m3 which 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