SUBMARINE AND UNDERGROUND REVERSE-OSMOSIS SCHEMES FOR ENERGY-EFFICIENT SEAWATER DESALINATION

The present report concerns energy-efficient seawater desalination sys tems utilizing either submarine or underground reverse osmosis units a t suitable operative depths. The novel desalination schemes achieve re markable energy efficiency through the free exploitation of the hydros tatic pressure of seawater and demonstrably require much less electric energy than any conventional (ground-based) desalination plant of com parable fresh water production capacity. The main operative features o f the proposed submarine and underground seawater desalination technol ogies appear to promise great technico-economical potentials and advan tageous couplings with renewable energy sources.