Sydney, Dec 8 (Inditop.com) An underground source of hot-rock energy may have the potential to produce low-cost fresh water, says a new study.
University of Queensland’s Geothermal Energy Centre’s director Hal Gurgenci said geothermal-powered desalination systems could be a boon for small towns facing water shortage.
“This is a clever combination where desalination is coupled with an agricultural function which is both cost-efficient and environmentally-friendly,” said Gurgenci.
Gurgenci said that while some of the geothermal resources may not be hot enough for power generation, they would be a perfect fit for thermal desalination of underground brackish aquifers.
Studies indicate that for plants in the range of one to 100 megalitres (megalitre is one million litres) per day, thermal desalination technologies are more suitable than reverse osmosis especially if there is a cheap and abundant supply of heat.
Reverse osmosis uses tiny pores through which water can flow, but restrict the entry of organic compounds like salt and other natural minerals, besides bacteria and disease-causing pathogens.
Gurgenci said that technology could also be used in smaller-scale applications, and in particular in agricultural settings, a university release said.
“Geothermal heat can be used to heat and humidify a greenhouse and produce fresh water at the same time,” Gurgenci said.
