NIOT's OTEC test to produce potable water from sea

Chennai, Jan 20 (UNI) After successfully testing the Low Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD) for providing potable water from seawater at Kavaratti in Lakshadweep, National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) is presently running an Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) experiment in a barge off Chennai Port to produce One million litres of potable water per day.

Talking to UNI here today, NIOT Scientist Rajat Roy Chaudhary said the LTTD plant at Kavaratti set up on a trial basis was very successful and was providing eight lakh litres of potable water per day to the people of the island.

He said the LTTD plant compared to Reverse Osmosis Plant was very cost effective and less time consuming.

On the OTEC project, he said the technology was similar to that used in ships to produce potable water.

The technology utilises the temperature difference existing between the warm surface sea water(28 to 30 degree celcius) and deep sea cold water (7 to 15 degree celcius) for producing potable water.

The warm water is flashed inside a vacuum flash chamber and the resultant vapour is condensed using cold water.

Highlighting the positive aspects of the technology like continuous supply of consistent good quality water as per BIS/WHO standards, free from environmental pollution, he said under the new technology pre-treatment of feed water was not required.

He said the Kavaratti administration had approached the NIOT to implement the project in a big way to provide potable water to the entire island.

UNI