Change of sea water into potable water
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17:13 IST
RAJYA SABHA

The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) an autonomous body of the Ministry of Earth Sciences has indigenously designed developed and demonstrated desalination technology for conversion of sea water into potable water based on Low Temperature Thermal Desalination System (LTTD). The LTTD is a process under which the warm surface sea water is flash evaporated at low pressure and the vapour is condensed with cold deep sea water. This technology is efficient and suitable for island territories of India.

The initial estimated cost of production of Kavaratti Plant was 10 paise per litre depending on the charges of power/electricity. The estimated cost of production of demonstration plant is inclusive of capital and other fixed costs. The operational cost of production is about 6-7 paise per liter.

Currently, two plants are in operation. The first LTTD plant with a capacity of 1 lakh liter per day production of fresh water was developed and commissioned in May 2005, at Kavaratti, Lakshadweep Island. Since then the plant has been effectively working and catering significantly to the needs of the local population. The plant has so far produced over 155 million liters of fresh water. The Lakshadweep Islands have the advantage of ocean depth (~500 m) available within few hundred meters from the coast and hence, island-based plants are possible. NIOT is in the process of setting of 3 more plants in the islands of Lakshawdeep of 1-lakh liter per day capacity, one each in Agatti, Androth and Minicoy. The target for completion of one of the plants at Agatti is March 2010 and for the other two plants is March, 2011. Another LTTD Plant of 1-lakh litre per day capacity was also established at Northern Chennai Thermal Power Station, Chennai in March 2009, which uses waste heat discharge from the power plant. A scheme is also being formulated for large scale desalination plants at the coastal power plants and the remaining 3 more islands of Lakshadweep islands which envisages Public-Private Partnership.

This was stated by Shri Prithviraj Chavan, the Union Minister of Earth Sciences in the Rajya Sabha today.

GG/BS/VK