Economics of nuclear and solar desalination for the Middle East -

Abstract

Increasing water supply by utilizing desalination technologies is an intrinsic part of the energy-water nexus in the Middle East. In response to the need to move away from fossil fuel, countries across the region have been proposing ambitious plans to invest in nuclear and solar power to deal with the increasing demand for electricity and water. This dissertation presents a comparative economic analysis of nuclear and solar desalination for the Middle East based on the levelized cost method using parameters and assumptions that are specific to the Middle East. The thesis also aims to examine the challenges and incentives of nuclear and solar desalination in the region. The analysis is conducted using a computational tool provided by the IAEA entitled DEEP which stands for Desalination Economic Evaluation Program. Of all the desalination technologies and power options studied, we found that the most economically feasible combination is the solar PV panels coupled with reverse osmosis technology.