Desalination and wave power for freshwater supply on Gotland

Abstract

Reliable access to drinking water and electricity can be a challenge, especially on islands. In this paper, desalination systems powered stand-alone by renewable energy sources are discussed, with a focus on wave power for the Swedish island Gotland. The objective is to evaluate the opportunity of using wave power for a desalination system on Gotland. The method includes assessing the electricity generation from a wave power park to power a desalination plant. The results show that the desalination plant would require 350 MWh annually, whereas the wave power plant could deliver 1891 MWh, supporting that it is technically feasible for a wave power park installed off the coast of Gotland to power a desalination plant.

Keywords

• Desalination
• Renewable energy
• Island
• Wave power
• Reliability