Solar vs Nuclear : Which is Cheaper for Water Desalination?

Abstract

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 desalinated water. This Policy Brief summarizes a comparative cost analysis of nuclear and solar desalination for the Middle East. Of all the coupled desalination technologies and power options studied, we found that the most cost effective combination is the solar photovoltaic (PV) panels coupled with reverse osmosis (RO) technology. However, requirements for high production capacity, lower levels of salinity and the existence of off-peak heat source could justify the coupling between nuclear power and thermal desalination technologies.