Summary Reader Response - Draft #2

In the article titled “S’pore’s fifth desalination plant opens on Jurong Island”, written by Qing (2022), functions and features of Jurong island desalination plant are described. Desalination is a water treatment process which aims to convert seawater into potable water. According to Qing (2022), Jurong island desalination plant receives seawater used to cool the complex, a utility plant supplying steam and electricity for chemical companies on Jurong Island for processing into potable water. The plant processes consist of dissolved air flotation, ultrafiltration and seawater reverse osmosis which removes pollutants such as dissolved salt, minerals, bacteria, etc. One notable feature is that this highly automated plant only requires two to three people to operate, making it the most manpower-efficient plant in Singapore. Moreover, Public Utility Board PUB(2023) mentioned that "its co-location with Tuas Power’s Tembusu Multi-Utilities Complex allows it to derive synergies in resources such as seawater-intake and energy, making it about 5% more energy-efficient than conventional desalination plants". This 5% might seem measly and insignificant but actually amounts to an "annual energy savings sufficient to power nearly 1,000 households".

Desalination plant holds significant importance in various aspects, serving as both a means to preserve resources and a life-saving process. Desalination plays a crucial role for maintaining water availability, not only in Singapore but also in other countries. Its importance lies not just in its energy efficiency and effective utilization of human resources but also in acknowledging the significant financial burden it entails.

The desalination plant is crucial in water availability by converting seawater into freshwater. According to Rane (July 2023), water sources such as rivers, lakes, and groundwater reservoirs are running out due to excessive exploitation and pollution. Desalination allows freshwater sources through the use of seawater, as 70% of Earth is covered by oceans. Desalinating seawater for the water supply helps minimize the risk of water shortages. Rane (July 2023) states that “By tapping into the vast resource of seawater, regions can become less dependent on unpredictable rainfall patterns and dwindling groundwater levels". When prompted with” What regions benefited from maintaining water availability using desalination?” the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that Countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel have heavily invested in desalination to meet their water needs in arid regions with limited freshwater sources. Desalination allows these regions to tap into abundant seawater resources, providing a sustainable source of drinking water and supporting agricultural activities.” The utilization of seawater resources enables Singapore to be independent of rainwater collection, ensuring a continuous and secure water supply.

Desalination also brings benefits such as energy efficiency and effective utilization of human resources. One example would be the JIDP. "Leveraging the complex's existing infrastructure for seawater intake, the synergies between the desalination plant and the complex have enabled operations to save approximately 5,000 megawatt-hours per year." Jiang (2022). The reduction in energy consumption will make seawater desalination, currently the most expensive water production method due to its high energy requirements, more widely accepted. Heng (2022) states that “When validated and scaled up, such technologies could potentially reduce the energy required to produce one cubic metre of desalinated water from 3.5 kilowatt hours (kWh) to less than 2kWh by 2025.” Additionally, desalination enables the utilization of minimal human labor through the operation of a highly automated facility. One of the example is the control room. "The central control room is the "brain" that oversees the operations of the desalination plant. From the room, two to three people can keep track of the plant's operations through over 70 analyzers, and make adjustments" Qing (April 2022). This allows for minimal staffing while achieving optimal effort and efficiency.

While desalination plants offers advantages, it also carries a substantial financial load. The potential drawbacks of utilizing costly technology to run the plants might outweigh the benefits it could provide. According to Ferris (January 2023), "The latest desalination market report from Global Industry Analysts, a market research company, anticipates the global desalination market to grow by 9.8% annually from $15.2bn in 2022 to $22.5bn in 2026." As the year goes, the cost will increase exponentially due to the high demand needed for water. Hence, it is essential to conduct research and efforts that enable the operation of the plant while simultaneously reducing the associated financial burden.

Desalination is an effective and efficient way to maintain water availability and resources in terms of energy and manpower. Nevertheless, it is essential to consider the downside of employing desalination as mentioned above. Desalination stands as a vital water treatment method, proving to be instrumental in global water conservation efforts due to its emphasis on energy efficiency and ensuring critical water availability.

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

Qing, A. (2022, April 17). S’pore’s fifth desalination plant opens on Jurong Island. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapores-fifth-desalination-plant-opens-on-jurong-island

 

Public Utility Board. PUB. (2023, November 29). Desalinated Water. PUB. https://www.pub.gov.sg/Public/WaterLoop/OurWaterStory/DesalinatedWater

 

Ferris, N. (2023, January 17).  Can Desalination save a drying world https://www.energymonitor.ai/tech/can-desalination-save-a-drying-world/?cf-view

 

Rane, A. (2023, July 23).  importance of sea water desalination for a sustainable future. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/importance-sea-water-desalination-sustainable-future-amol-rane/

 

Qing, A. (2022, April 17). How just 2 people can run plant that produces up to 30m gallons of water daily in Singapore. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/how-just-2-people-can-run-plant-that-produces-up-to-30m-gallons-of-water-daily-in-singapore

 

Robbins et al., (2019, June 11). As water scarcity increases, desalination plants are on the rise https://e360.yale.edu/features/as-water-scarcity-increases-desalination-plants-are-on-the-rise

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model].
https://chat.openai.com/chat