Robin Yapp, Contributor December 10, 2012 | 5 Comments Saudi
Arabia's newly announced commitment to introducing solar-powered
desalination plants marks a welcome and significant step in
advancing the technology. In October 2012, Abdul Rahman Al-
Ibrahim, governor of the country's Saline Water Conversion
Corporation (SWCC), which procures the majority of its extensive
municipal desalination assets, announced plans to establish
three new solar-powered desalination plants in Haqel, Dhuba and
Farasan. SWCC is the biggest producer of desalinated water
worldwide, accounting for 18% of global output. Energy-intensive
desalination plants have traditionally run on fossil fuels, but
renewables, particularly solar power, are now beginning to play
a part. Around half the operating cost of a desalination plant
comes from energy use, and on current trends Saudi Arabia and
many other countries in the region would consume most of the oil
they produce on desalination by 2050. The dominant desalination
technology at present, wi