Tomorrow's Business Leader - Spring 2020 - 10

Desal Waste Plants
by Henry Pike

shortages
are at risk of water
le
op
pe
of
ns
lio
bil
scarcity due
countries,
tries to third world
faces threats of water problem and
un
is
co
pol
hy
alt
tro
we
me
m
ng
fro
ivi
,
Around the world
Tokyo, Japan, a thr
water is an endemic
clean, potable water.
lakes. Lack of usable gement of water resources. So
d
an
ll
nfa
rai
e
or lack of access to
lik
mana
ove ground freshwater
ons of human use and
d wastewater
to its reliance on ab
r the current conditi
salination plants an
de
de
un
ng
on
ati
so
cre
e
im
in
yt
be
an
to
ate
businesses,
ab
ars
d
pe
to
an
ap
s
ely
me
er
ho
lik
sw
is un
ter used in
blem? The an
wa
pro
ng
s
cli
thi
cy
re
to
d
on
an
g
uti
in
h clean
safe water. Those
what might be a sol
. The latter deals wit ces such as our oceans into usable and
ter
wa
s
cle
cy
re
to
nts
ch opportunity in thi
r from pla
treatment pla
s. Yet there is so mu
h converting saltwate
ge
ta
th,
wit
or
Ear
ng
sh
e
ali
th
ter
de
wa
of
r
r
%
me
ou
70
for
and the
er covers
e to quell
ve already been in us ryone and to be a profitable business. Wat es.
os
types of facilities ha
eve
rp
pu
of
n
es
ma
hu
liv
usable for
ence in the
3% of the world's is
space to make a differ
an
th
s
les
able to everyone,
so
,
3%
kes up
accessible and afford
re
mo
n
eve
ter
yet freshwater only ma
wa
g
and makin
ns water purification
y that builds and ru
the rest of that 70%,
an
d
mp
all
co
ng
a
ssi
ate
ne
cre
har
e
to
in
I want
can be successful an
But imag
Angolan. That is why
ieve such a venture
ue
or
bel
en
n
I
ca
rev
r.
y
eri
ad
Am
ate
tw
ste
or,
sal
d
po
an
d
te
rich an
desalina
to harness a reliable so many processes
cycle freshwater and
of scale and ability
s
tor
plants that both re
fac
al
al component of
ntu
eve
due to its
e as it is an essenti
as
ce
ver
ne
ely
profitable long-term
lik
for water will most
stream. Human demand
.)
plants. The premise
(humans are 65% water
future expansionary
all
for
del
and of life in general
mo
rane-based
a
be
plant would use memb
nt and it would
A
pla
.
e
ter
on
wa
h
to
wit
ng
rt
ati
sta
ess rel
er industrial
The company would
ple aspects of busin ed in steel mills, paper mills, or oth
lti
mu
ze
ali
ntr
ce
to
ter us
nt. But our plant
of the plants is
as industrial wastewa
stewater treatment pla
wa
ch
su
eir
th
uld
ter
be
wa
to
ter
t
en
fil
nm
al gover
xt to an ocean, it wo
filtration to
could contract with loc n niche. Due to its planned location ne
y
ng
an
ati
mp
cre
co
r
us
ou
th
us
r,
Th
ate
settings.
salinate saltw
es to a certai
de
elv
rs
to
ou
sis
mit
mo
li
os
d
e
an
ers
would not stop there
ne filtration and rev
an water.
to use similar membra
all other uses of cle
have the capabilities ter for drinking, bathing, farming, and
lly sound and
wa
utilizing environmenta gargantuan
by
is
t
ar
ap
a brand new source of
ves
sel
lly set them
ours, require
of operation would rea nation plants in operation, similar to
test
urce. Many people de
But where our plants
ali
so
r
Des
we
po
ns.
tio
eir
th
era
op
as
r
ls
ou
fue
o
at problem is
n to fossil
friendly practices int
wer. A solution to th
po
turn many places tur
for
In
ls
n.
ru
fue
to
sil
ty
fos
ici
eir use of
wer the operations.
amounts of electr
ch as Qatar due for th d setting up hydroelectric turbines to po
su
s
ce
pla
in
nts
pla
to global warming.
e an
desalination
ated as an energy sourc ing damaging our Earth and contributing
tre
ng
bei
ality. A
ter
wa
e
th
harnessing
environmental extern
ns while avoid
us
ma
ero
hu
ng
p
da
hel
er
to
oth
an
us
s
ow
pose
trated with
Doing that would all
brine water, certainly
water is water concen filtered
of
ne
e
bri
arg
n,
ch
tio
dis
,
ina
ern
sal
nc
de
as
Another area of co
water resulting from
ne water is produced
e clean and filtered
, 1.5 times as much bri o the ocean. Not only does the
gly
kin
oc
Sh
t.
ou
counterbalance to th
ed
nted compounds filter
ly dump this brine int the water, but the brine is
all the salt and unwa
tion operations simp
ina
sal
de
st
mo
,
gly
d aquatic species in
in
vives.
water. Even more alarm mpounds that are bad for water quality an deadly zones of water where nothing sur
co
ate
l
d
cre
mfu
unwante brine.
this can
brine contain har
way to get rid of the
than other water and
le
ab
er
rm
ord
wa
aff
d
an
st
d
mo
te
e
th
tra
MIT have shown that
seen as
highly concen
institutions such as
onmental pollution is
at
vir
ts
en
tis
d
en
an
compounds
g
Sci
in
n.
mp
ea
du
oc
e
All of th
oxide. Some of those
money into the
dr
g
hy
in
m
mp
diu
du
so
is
as
ne
ch
bri
su
ney or earn
ditives
Yet their dumping of
brine we will save mo
ble chemicals and ad
r
ua
ou
val
ng
o
osi
int
rp
pu
wn
re
do
en
nts
Thus, by our pla
brine can be brok
desalination process.
are even used in the ess stocks.
purpose plants would
exc
ns that massive, multi
so
uld
rea
e
th
money by selling our
of
me
so
d funding the plant wo
e are all
rting construction an $2 billion in initial
I have mentioned abov
Sta
s
od
.
th
ter
me
wa
e
of
tiv
t
en
rke
inv
The
d safe ma
uld require at least
tment in the steady an
y investors to
ensive and thus it wo
int
al
be a phenomenal inves
pit
ca
is
sold to private equit uld deliver
y
be
str
du
uld
in
wo
e
s
th
re
Sha
as
.
ve
cts
er proje
ject and wo
be quite expensi
truction costs for oth uld then also be sold to finance the pro
ns
co
nt
to pay
ce
re
on
d
se
Bonds wo
to the methods used
funding ba
ct.
lar
je
mi
si
pro
e
ars
th
ye
d
20
fun
xt
to
ne
se
for the
nt begins to
build up a capital ba
years and at least 9%
should rise as the pla bond sales.
10
s
st
fit
fir
Pro
e
th
er.
Wat
for
s
on
County by Poseid
ded in part by
at least 6% return
nt built in San Diego
as with more plants fun
for a desalination pla mpany would look to expand into other are
earnings is signing
r co
vide for consistent
pro
d
or
an
ks
pay for itself and ou
ris
e
dg
he
will
l assure a strong flo
n of the company that lities. Contracts lasting 30-40 years wil
tio
era
op
of
a
are
er
Anoth
ts and uti
with local governmen
water sale contracts
ethics-based
cially sound plan for is needed,
an
fin
d
an
lly
nta
me
on operations.
and more water
nt is an environ
a water treatment pla in coming years, as water scarcity mounts to be the new oil, and
Overall, investing in
al
al
vit
nti
o markets that will be e steady profits. I see in water the pote
investing. Moving int
vid
markets that will pro
is a safe bet to tap
it.
pitalize on
desalination plants ca
Tomorrow's Business Leader | Spring 2020 10

Tomorrow's Business Leader - Spring 2020

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