AN ASSESSMENT OF DESALINATION TECHNOLOGY FOR THE ROSARITO REPOWERING PROJECT

An assessment of desalination technology was conducted with a view to determining the most feasible option for a seawater desalination plant as a thermal host for the proposed Rosarito Repowering Project in Baja California, Mexico. Plants based on low temperature multiple effect distillation (LTMED), reverse osmosis (RO) and a hybrid LTMED/RO system were evaluated. All three options were shown to satisfy the requirements of the U.S. Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) for a qualifying cogeneration facility. Subject to limitations on the accuracy of the estimate (-5/+20%), the lowest water cost was obtained with reverse osmosis. In addition, certain site-specific considerations such as power plant dispatchability and constraints on the expansion of the existing seawater intake system tended to favor the RO option.