Energy and electricity

The link between water and energy and their inseparability becomes obvious because of the large amounts of energy needed to desalinate water. The use of energy induces a significant emission of greenhouse gases, which is even more important for thermal methods. Desalination has been promoted because it was thought that it could provide water at a lower cost than other large-scale solutions. However, the dramatic increase in electricity prices has not allowed desalination to position itself as an attractive water source. (2) Indeed, the cost of desalination has increased in recent years due to the liberalization of the Spanish energy sector and the improvement of technologies is not enough to compensate for the impact of energy prices. Combinations between desalination plants and power plants or treatment plants can be considered to reduce energy costs and avoid deleterious impacts, as in the case of the El Prat desalination plant. (6)