Cost analysis and scheduling of the desalination vessel using reverse osmosis technology

Water scarcity issue becomes severe due to climate change and increase of water needs, globally. In order to provide fresh water in islands, small-scale desalination plants (< 100 m³/day) had been installed using reverse osmosis technology. To decrease high desalination cost of small-scale SWRO plants in islands in Republic of Korea, the desalination vessel having RO system (300 m³/day) was recently suggested. The desalination costs of the small-scale SWRO plants in islands and desalination vessel which can provide desalinated water to several islands were analyzed and were compared. The operational schedule of the desalination vessel in Shinan-gun, Republic of Korea was suggested considering the water demands, velocity and water storage of the desalination vessel, and distances between target islands. It was found that the water production cost could be saved when the desalination vessel was applied in Shinan-gun, Republic of Korea.