Spain is clearly the European country furthest along in the fight against drought through seawater exploitation. Tropical temperatures, lengthening summers, and lack of rainfall — all effects of the climate crisis—have pushed Catalonia to choose a direct route to address water scarcity: desalination plants, which are scattered throughout the region. In the Costa Brava alone, 12 plants are under construction, which will be able to cover 30 percent of the area's water demand. In Barcelona, Europe's largest desalination plant has been operating for several years. Located in El Prat del Llobregat, a few kilometers from Barcelona, in 2023 it provided 33 percent of the drinking water for the entire metropolitan area of the Catalan city, serving nearly 500 million people.
However, this challenge presents challenges, certainly from a circular economy perspective. One is the cost, which depends heavily on energy consumption. In Europe, the estimated cost of desalination of seawater on a large scale is between 1,60 and 2,30 euros per liter, compared to a cost of 0,09 to 0,45 cents per liter for water drawn from artificial rivers. The second problem is the risk of pollution. The industrial process for desalination of seawater produces production waste, which must be disposed of to prevent environmental damage to the marine ecosystem. This too is a cost that affects the supply of desalinated water.
Read also:
- How to reuse dryer water
- How not to waste water at home
- Rainwater: How to Make It Drinkable
- A tale about water: to teach children not to waste it
- Waidy WOW app to protect water and reduce single-use plastic consumption
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