Features of desalination plants in semi - areas

The successive Transformation & Development plans of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, provide for the setting-up of large-scale Desalination Plants. These will ensure the supply of adequate quantities of potable water to rural& urban communities, and of treated water to industries & power stations. Most of the bigger plants are planned to desalt sea-water, while those in the interior of the country treat underground brackish water.

For these conditions, the favoured types of equipment are based on the Multi-stage flash Distillation (M.S.F.) and Reverse-Osmosis (R.O.) processes. The design features of the entire system, as well as the plant, are discussed, with reference to the requirements. Some of the problems faced with such systems in these regions are unique, and require careful solutions.

The choice of materials for the construction of the entire system is described for the main plant, the water treatment facility and the water intake system. From an analysis of the technical requirements and average costs of production, a set of guidelines is evolved, and a plea is made for the drafting of standard specifications, applicable to the entire region and covering a range of equipment to meet varying types of requirements.