Brine Valorization — The Future Of DesalinationBy Nikolay VoutchkovBrine valorization plants are the next step in the evolution of desalinatio...
Published by Nikolay Voutchkov, Water Globe Consulting, LLC - President
Brine Valorization — The Future Of Desalination
By Nikolay Voutchkov
Brine valorization plants are the next step in the evolution of desalination technology which opens a new horizon for wider use of desalination as a baseline source of drought-proof and environmentally and fiscally sustainable water supply. Over the past decade, the desalination industry has developed a number of brine concentration and mineral extraction technologies which enable the generation of commercially valuable products from brine. Valorizing minerals from seawater is more environmentally friendly enterprise than terrestrial mining. Moreover, brine mining does not require fresh water for mineral extraction, nor does it create contaminated water or waste materials for disposal, thereby combining both environmental and fiscal sustainability of mineral recovery.
The recent breakthrough in viability of brine valorization (BV) technology is triggered by four core innovations: (1) integration of desalination and brine valorization technologies; (2) mineral-selective reverse osmosis (SWRO) membranes, (3) membrane crystallization, and (4) green chemicals. These advancements allow for the extraction of commercially valuable commodities such as sodium chloride, magnesium hydroxide, and calcium carbonate, as well as strategic metals like lithium and rubidium. Economically, the BV system can generate revenue from mineral sales that is over 16 times higher than revenue from water sales, potentially subsidizing water production to the point of "zero cost." Environmentally, it significantly reduces marine impact through lower intake requirements and moves toward zero liquid discharge (ZLD).
https://www.wateronline.com/doc/brine-valorization-the-future-of-desalination-0001
By Nikolay Voutchkov
Brine valorization plants are the next step in the evolution of desalination technology which opens a new horizon for wider use of desalination as a baseline source of drought-proof and environmentally and fiscally sustainable water supply. Over the past decade, the desalination industry has developed a number of brine concentration and mineral extraction technologies which enable the generation of commercially valuable products from brine. Valorizing minerals from seawater is more environmentally friendly enterprise than terrestrial mining. Moreover, brine mining does not require fresh water for mineral extraction, nor does it create contaminated water or waste materials for disposal, thereby combining both environmental and fiscal sustainability of mineral recovery.
The recent breakthrough in viability of brine valorization (BV) technology is triggered by four core innovations: (1) integration of desalination and brine valorization technologies; (2) mineral-selective reverse osmosis (SWRO) membranes, (3) membrane crystallization, and (4) green chemicals. These advancements allow for the extraction of commercially valuable commodities such as sodium chloride, magnesium hydroxide, and calcium carbonate, as well as strategic metals like lithium and rubidium. Economically, the BV system can generate revenue from mineral sales that is over 16 times higher than revenue from water sales, potentially subsidizing water production to the point of "zero cost." Environmentally, it significantly reduces marine impact through lower intake requirements and moves toward zero liquid discharge (ZLD).
https://www.wateronline.com/doc/brine-valorization-the-future-of-desalination-0001
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