The Hindu Business Line : Vizhinjam desalination plant ready to pump water

THE Kerala Government is firming up a proposal for supply of water to the local people from the wave-powered desalination plant at Vizhinjam, near here.

The desalination plant, based on reverse osmosis technology, designed by the Chennai-based National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), was commissioned in June last year. The plant is linked to the wave-driven power generation facility set up at the site by IIT, Chennai, in 1990.

NIOT developed the desalination plant as the power generated from the caisson-based wave energy system was not enough to be fed into the State's grid. The plant has a capacity of 10,000 litres per day.

According to the scientists of NIOT, the plant is designed in such a way that it can run safely on wave energy, power from the electricity board or a diesel generator. The plant is now being run daily either on wave energy or power from the electricity board depending upon the availability of the former.

The desalination system consists of the existing impulse turbine, a special variable speed alternator and a battery back-up. The battery back-up is required to keep constant power supply when the wave power tapers off. The system was found to be working satisfactorily during the performance analysis carried out during August-September last year.

The NIOT scientists said that the research on the caisson-based wave energy system had been completed. But research would continue to develop floating plants, they added. The desalination plant is proposed to be handed over to the Harbour Engineering Department of the State Government as NIOT, being a research and development institute, is unable to take up supply of water to the local people on a daily basis. The Harbour Engineering Department will maintain the plant as also handle the water supply.

The Minister of Ports, Mr M.V. Raghavan, said the operational cost of the plant would work out to Rs 7 lakh per year. Even so, the water could be supplied to the local people at very low rates. The Minister said the Regional Research Laboratory had evaluated the quality of the water to be supplied from the plant.