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Conference Article: Summary of experience and practice in Japanese nuclear desalination plants at the interface between nuclear and desalination systems

Abstract

The widely prevalent large scale desalination of seawater is accomplished by two primary methods: Distillation and reverse osmosis (RO). In any case, an external energy supply source is mandatory for the operation of the desalination plants. Reverse Osmosis is more energy efficient than distillation. The energy input for RO is usually supplied by electric power, whereas thermal energy is extracted from an electric power plant for the distillation processes (dual purpose plant). There are no impediments in using nuclear power plants to supply energy to desalination plants in an integral site. However, it is essential to eliminate the possibility of penetration of radioactive contamination into produced water. Besides, the investigation of possible back-up facilities is detrimental to meet the demand of electric power and water. In accordance with the Japanese regulations, a nuclear power plant cannot be operated if any amount of radioactive contamination resulted from the failure of fuel is detected in the cooling water. In our experience, we have found that no special provisions and no additional selection criteria are needed to install the desalination plants within the nuclear power plants, except for the carbon steel shell utilized for the RO module.

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Reference:

Advisory group meeting and consultancy on experience with nuclear heat applications: district heating, process heat and desalination, 13-15 December 1995 and 7-9 February 1996.
Advisory group meeting on technology, design and safety aspects of non-electrical application of nuclear energy, 20-24 October 1997.
Advisory group meeting on operational modes of nuclear desalination plants, 3-5 November 1997.
Advisory group meeting on materials and equipment for the coupling interfaces of nuclear reactors with desalination and district heating plants, 21-23 April 1998.

International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)

IAEA-TECDOC--1056, pp:271-277