China tackles water shortage with desalination plants

New York Times : In addition to solar panels and wind turbines, China is setting its sights on becoming a force in yet another budding environment-related industry: desalinating seawater, writes Michael Wines for the New York Times. Its $4 billion Beijiang Power and Desalination Plant is a state-of-the-art, state-owned facility located southeast of Beijing. Although it’s a money-losing proposition—the desalted water costs twice as much to produce as it sells for—China hopes to use the plant to strengthen its expertise in desalination, learn how to trim production costs, and ease the chronic water shortage in nearby Tianjin. Despite extensive recycling and conservation programs, many parts of China are experiencing water shortages. And according to the Asia Water Project, a business information organization, by 2030 China’s demand for fresh water is expected to grow 63%—more than anywhere else in the world.