China's desalination industry will be on track

In order to further develop the desalination industry and alleviate the increasingly serious shortage of water resources in China's offshore areas and islands, the General Office of the State Council recently issued the Opinions on Accelerating the Development of the Seawater Desalination Industry (hereinafter referred to as the Opinions), clarifying the development objectives of the desalination industry during the "12th Five-Year Plan" period: by 2015, China's desalination capacity will reach 2.2 million to 2.6 million cubic meters per day, and the raw materials for desalination The independent innovation rate of equipment manufacturing has reached more than 70%.

In this regard, industry analysts believe that, based on the current investment cost, it will drive 10.8 billion to 13.6 billion yuan of investment by 2015. The seawater desalination industry has great potential, but it has been in a stagger state. Whether it can go out of the stage of "small scale, slow development and difficult promotion" and break the situation for the shortage of freshwater resources in China still has many bottlenecks such as system, price and technology.

The existing foundation for rapid development

During the "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" period, there is nearly three times more room for improvement of seawater desalination capacity. On the premise of meeting the requirements of relevant indicators and ensuring human health, seawater desalination water is allowed to enter the municipal water supply system according to law.

The relevant person in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission said in an interview that, in general, China has relatively few key technologies and equipment for desalination with independent intellectual property rights, the manufacturing capacity of complete sets of devices and components is weak, the application scale is small, and the development of the desalination industry is not balanced, but it has the conditions and foundation for comprehensive and rapid development.

The Opinion proposes that by 2015, China's desalination capacity will reach 2.2 million to 2.6 million cubic meters per day. In response, CITIC Securities issued a report that China's desalination capacity was 660000 tons/day in 2011, and there was nearly three times more room for improvement by 2015. If the daily investment cost of seawater desalination equipment is 7000 yuan/ton, the daily production capacity will be increased by 1.54 million tons to 1.94 million tons from 2012 to 2015, and it is expected to drive the investment of 10.8 billion yuan to 13.6 billion yuan.

The relevant person in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission said that during the "12th Five-Year Plan" period, the key work for the development of the desalination industry included: strengthening the research and development of key technologies and equipment, and improving the research and development capacity and technology integration level of complete units; Strengthen system integration and improve the design, manufacturing, construction and application of the desalination industry; Cultivate industrial bases, promote the regional agglomeration of research and design, equipment manufacturing and engineering application, and cultivate a number of internationally competitive equipment manufacturing and engineering design and construction enterprises; Set up a desalination industry alliance, so that scattered resources and capabilities can form a joint force to participate in market competition and form a complete industrial chain; Implement seawater desalination demonstration project, drive industrial development and accumulate operation and management experience; Encourage coastal areas to give priority to the use of seawater desalination water; Under the premise of meeting the requirements of relevant indicators and ensuring human health, seawater desalination water is allowed to enter the municipal water supply system according to law; We will improve the seawater desalination standard system and guide and standardize the development of the industry.

Why does the cost remain high?

Key equipment also relies on imports, lacking experience and ability in design, construction and management of large-scale desalination projects

The golden content of an industry's development is technological innovation and progress. At present, China's seawater desalination has basically met the conditions for industrial development, but there is still a big gap with the advanced level of foreign countries. The main reason is that key equipment does not have independent intellectual property rights and industrial production capacity. In the construction of desalination projects, these equipment mainly rely on imports. At the same time, China still lacks the experience and ability in the design, construction and management of large-scale seawater desalination projects. Compared with foreign projects that are often 100000 tons or even millions of tons per day, there are very few projects with tens of thousands of tons in operation in China at present.

For China, the desalination industry is an emerging industry. Strengthening the research and development of key technologies and equipment and improving the level of engineering technology have become the primary issue in promoting the industrialization of seawater desalination. Therefore, among the key tasks listed in the Opinions, "strengthening the research and development of key technologies and equipment" is listed as the first item.

The application scale of seawater desalination in China is not large, one of the main reasons is the cost problem, and one of the reasons for the high cost is that there are few technologies and equipment with independent intellectual property rights, especially the manufacturing capacity of key technologies and equipment as well as integrated technologies and equipment. Therefore, we must accelerate the pace of technological innovation, gradually improve the technical level and manufacturing capacity, and improve the competitiveness of China's desalination technology. For example, in the research and development of reverse osmosis membrane, high-pressure pump and energy recovery device; In terms of equipment manufacturing, especially the manufacturing of complete sets of equipment; In terms of integrated technology R&D and equipment integrated manufacturing capacity, we should increase investment and enhance the ability of scientific and technological innovation.

Integrated R&D and strengthened demonstration

Exploring the development mode of seawater desalination industry in line with China's reality

In order to ensure the continuous innovation ability of seawater desalination, it is necessary to strengthen the capacity building of seawater desalination technology innovation. The units that carry out seawater desalination work in China are widely distributed, such as professional research institutes, universities, large enterprises and equipment manufacturing enterprises, which carry out technology research and development, material and equipment manufacturing, engineering construction and management, and engineering application. All units and enterprises have strong capabilities and unique aspects, but their forces are relatively scattered. If they can be coordinated, and on the basis of the combination of strong and strong, increase investment, overall planning, and strengthen capacity building, it will be beneficial to promote the research and development of seawater desalination technology and industrial development.

The relevant person in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission introduced in an interview with the reporter that in terms of technological innovation, during the "12th Five-Year Plan" period, the country will increase the research and development of key technologies such as large-scale thermal membrane desalination, large-scale seawater circulating cooling, key components such as reverse osmosis desalination membrane module, high-pressure pump, energy recovery, and core components of thermal desalination, as well as chemical raw materials and related inspection and detection technologies; We will encourage the development of new technologies for seawater desalination and enhance our independent innovation and supporting capacity.

At the same time, we should actively research and develop the technology of seawater desalination using the waste heat of power plants and renewable energy such as nuclear, wind, marine and solar energy, and encourage the coastal power generation enterprises with conditions to implement electricity and water cogeneration. At the same time, on the basis of strengthening the research and development of key technologies of seawater desalination, strengthen the system integration, and constantly improve the engineering and technical level of design, manufacturing, construction and application of seawater desalination industry.

It is understood that during the "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" period, the state will independently design, construct and operate a number of key demonstration projects for seawater desalination based on the actual conditions of different sea areas and regions, industries and enterprises and different water quality requirements, and in accordance with the process technologies of seawater desalination membrane method, thermal method and thermal film coupling. At the same time, the coastal water shortage areas are encouraged to actively create a desalination demonstration city on the premise of ensuring the safety of public drinking water. Select the islands with more residents, lack of fresh water, which are related to the country's marine rights and interests as the demonstration islands for desalination, and use the desalination water as the first source of new water supply for these islands. Encourage the construction of demonstration industrial parks with seawater desalination water as an important water source in combination with regional characteristics.

In the interview, the experts in the industry said that according to the characteristics of seawater desalination in China and the development trend of advanced technology and equipment for seawater desalination in foreign countries, we will carry out research and demonstration in terms of technology research and development, equipment manufacturing, engineering application and other aspects of seawater desalination in China, and give full play to the advantages of all aspects, in terms of specific technology research and development, design and manufacture of key components and equipment, process technology route and scheme selection In terms of project construction and management, as well as project application and operation, we will make overall planning and actively carry out demonstration pilot work, and explore a development model of seawater desalination industry that conforms to China's actual situation.

Development needs market guidance

Improve the management system of seawater utilization, formulate relevant policies and means to guide and standardize industrial development

Seawater utilization has a broad prospect, especially after China's seawater desalination technology has matured, equipment production and manufacturing has a certain capacity, the scale of engineering application has been expanded, and the level of engineering management and operation has been improved. However, there are also problems, such as the traditional concept of water resources has not been completely changed, the current water pricing mechanism and situation are not conducive to market competition, the technology of independent intellectual property rights is not complete, and the manufacturing capacity of complete sets of equipment needs to be further improved.

In the interview, industry experts said that in order to regulate the development of the desalination industry, on the one hand, relevant standards and technical specifications should be established, and on the other hand, industry management should be strengthened. We should accelerate the research and formulation of relevant standards for seawater desalination, and formulate corresponding technical specifications according to different process routes; Strictly implement the relevant standards and technical specifications issued and implemented, and gradually improve the relevant standards and technical specifications according to the actual situation.

The development of China's seawater desalination industry mainly depends on the market and operates through the market. However, the government must also guide and standardize industrial development by formulating relevant policies and other means. For example, raise people's awareness of seawater desalination through publicity; Cultivate scientific research and engineering teams through technical exchange and cooperation; Promote scientific and technological breakthroughs through scientific and technological policies and improve the ability and level of independent research and development; Cultivate the application market and equipment manufacturing industry through industrial policies and fiscal and tax policies, and actively cultivate the market atmosphere for the development of the desalination industry.

The Opinions put forward that the state will increase the support of fiscal and tax policies and introduce appropriate support policies for the study of seawater desalination water entering the municipal water supply system. At the same time, we will implement financial and price support policies. In coastal areas, especially in coastal water shortage areas and islands, accelerate the establishment of a scientific and reasonable water price formation mechanism that can reflect the scarcity of resources, improve the enthusiasm of water supply enterprises to use seawater desalination water, and accelerate the development of seawater desalination industry.