French study Malta’s desalination technology

The Agence Française de Development visited the Water Services Corporation recently to learn about Malta’s desalination technology.

The agency is considering funding desalination plants in countries such as Namibia, Cape Verde, Senegal and Morocco, with the list of countries expected to widen dramatically in the near future.

“Following the significant reduction in energy required to convert sea water into drinking water over the past few years, desalination turns out to be an ever more realistic option all over the world when it comes to water supply issues,” the WSC said.

The French studied how the corporation uses desalination as one component of an integrated water resources management system that includes groundwater extraction and monitoring, reduction of water losses, research projects aimed at reusing wastewater after adequate treatment and the implementation of a metering system that will allow further efficiencies to be achieved.

The performance of the WSC in desalination, pre-treatment, energy savings, as well as in the preservation of membranes and tackling water losses, was used to conclude the agency’s studies.