Ronny Berndtsson
Professor, Dep Director, MECW Dep Scientific Coordinator
A Joint Desalination and Power Plants for Water and Development: A Case study of the Sinai-Gaza
Author
Summary, in English
Desalination can be a cost-effective way to produce fresh water and possibly electricity. The Gaza Strip has had a complex hydro-political situation for many years. Gaza (enclosed area) is bordered by the Mediterranean in the west, by Israel in the north and east and by Egypt in the south. Water and electricity consumption in the Gaza Strip is expected to increase in the future due to the increasing population.
In this paper, a solution for Sinai and the Gaza Strip is suggested involving the building of a joint power and desalination plant, located in Egypt close to the border of Gaza. Results of capital and unit costs have been derived from bench-mark studies of 18 different desalination projects mainly in the Middle East countries. The suggested joint Egypt-Palestine project would increases drinking water supply by 500,000 m3/d and the power supply by 500MW, whereof 2/3 is suggested to be used in Gaza and 1/3 in Sinai. The present lack of electricity and water in Gaza could be erased by such a project. But Egypt will probably gain more. More water and electricity will be available for the future development of Sinai; a significant value will be added to the sale of Egyptian natural gas used for water and power production in the project; more employment opportunities can be offered for people living in Sinai and Gaza; the domestic market for operation and maintenance of desalination plants can be boosted by the suggested project. Egypt may naturally and peacefully increase its cooperation with and presence in Gaza, which should lead to increased security around the border between Egypt and Gaza. This type of project could also get international support and can be a role-model for cooperation and trust-building between neighbours in the Middle East region. This study have also compared with more than five different alternatives.
In this paper, a solution for Sinai and the Gaza Strip is suggested involving the building of a joint power and desalination plant, located in Egypt close to the border of Gaza. Results of capital and unit costs have been derived from bench-mark studies of 18 different desalination projects mainly in the Middle East countries. The suggested joint Egypt-Palestine project would increases drinking water supply by 500,000 m3/d and the power supply by 500MW, whereof 2/3 is suggested to be used in Gaza and 1/3 in Sinai. The present lack of electricity and water in Gaza could be erased by such a project. But Egypt will probably gain more. More water and electricity will be available for the future development of Sinai; a significant value will be added to the sale of Egyptian natural gas used for water and power production in the project; more employment opportunities can be offered for people living in Sinai and Gaza; the domestic market for operation and maintenance of desalination plants can be boosted by the suggested project. Egypt may naturally and peacefully increase its cooperation with and presence in Gaza, which should lead to increased security around the border between Egypt and Gaza. This type of project could also get international support and can be a role-model for cooperation and trust-building between neighbours in the Middle East region. This study have also compared with more than five different alternatives.
Department/s
- Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES)
- Division of Water Resources Engineering
- MECW: The Middle East in the Contemporary World
Publishing year
2011
Language
English
Publication/Series
IUG - Islamic University of Gaza
Document type
Conference paper
Topic
- Energy Systems
Keywords
- Desalination
- Power plant
- Palestine-Gaza Strip
- Water quality
Conference name
Fourth International Conference for Science and Development (ICSD-IV), Nov. 22-23
Conference date
2011-11-22 - 2011-11-23
Conference place
Gaza, Palestine, State of
Status
Published