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BIZCHINA> Top Biz News
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Turning to the sea for fresh water needs
By Chen Xiaorong and Teddy Ng (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-08-17 08:03 Among them are the relatively large-scale Shandong Huangdao and Hebei Huanghua power plants, No 7 Petroleum Factory of China Petroleum Dalian Petrochemical Corp, Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area, Shandong Yantai City and Hebei Wangtan Power Plant. They produce around 30,000 tons of clean water a day. Most enterprises with an annual production capacity at more than 100,000 tons cooperate with foreign enterprises such as General Electric and Befesa. The ambitious Spanish developer Befesa made inroads in Qingdao's market by constructing a seawater reverse osmosis plant in 2007. At present, the daily output of China's desalinated water accounts for 0.003 percent of the world's total output. Authorities say the target for 2010 is to produce up to 1 million tons per day. China is regarded by the United Nations as one of the 13 most water-deficient countries in the world. As supplies dry up, the cost of water will rise. The advancement of seawater desalination technology has brought down its high cost. However, China relies largely on foreign equipment and expertise. Some industry insiders believe that overseas investors should be encouraged to undertake desalination projects in China. According to the China Seawater Desalination Annual Report (2007), foreign desalination equipment providers will control 50 percent of China's market within the next three to five years. "The government should have a policy to subsidize and offer tax incentives to domestic and overseas operators to encourage them to undertake the risk in this high-cost industry," said Kang Jian, an official from the State Oceanic Administration. In Hong Kong, it is also suggested the government set up a medium-sized desalination demonstration plant to supply salt-free water to a small community as a foundation for further studies. But seawater desalination is proving more costly than expected. A spokesman for the city's Water Supplies Department said the unit water production cost of using Dongjiang water is about HK$6 per ton versus about HK$10 per ton for desalinated water. If water shortages get worse, that ratio is likely to change. In Qingdao, seawater is being used for air conditioning in the city's Economic and Technological Development Area. The system uses deep ocean water to provide air conditioning for 74,000 sq m of coastal apartments. It will save 40 percent of the cost of traditional systems. If this experiment is deemed a success, it will also be extended.
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