Integration of Wind Energy and Desalination Systems: A Review Study

Desalination is a well-established technology used all over the world to mitigate freshwater scarcity. Wind-powered reverse osmosis plants are one of the most promising alternatives for renewable energy desalination, particularly for coastal areas and islands. Wind energy can satisfy the high energy consumption of desalination while reducing costs and CO2 emissions. However, the mismatch between the intermittent availability of the wind resource and the desalination's power demand makes the integration between the two technologies critical. This paper presents a review of wind-powered desalination systems, focusing on the existing topologies and technological advances. An overview of the advantages and disadvantages are analysed based on the theoretical and experimental cases available in the scientific literature. The goal of this work is to show the current status of wind-powered desalination and to present the technical challenges that need to be overcome in order to ensure a sustainable freshwater source.

Automated summary

Desalination is a widely-used technology to address freshwater scarcity, with wind-powered reverse osmosis plants being a promising alternative for renewable energy desalination. However, the intermittent availability of wind resources and the high energy consumption of desalination pose challenges for integration. This paper reviews the current status and technical challenges of wind-powered desalination systems.