Conversion of Sea Water into Drinking Water

Earth System Science Organisation (ESSO) - National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) has indigenously designed, developed and demonstrated Low Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD) technology for conversion of sea water into potable water. The LTTD is a process under which the warm surface sea water is flash evaporated at low pressure and the vapour is condensed with cold deep sea water. This technology is efficient and found to be suitable for island territories of India, especially Lakshadweep Islands. The same process is used to generate potable drinking water utilizing the thermal wastewater (having temperatures significantly more than room temperature), from thermal power plants. Till date, 4 LTTD plants have been successfully commissioned in the country, one each at Kavaratti (2005), Minicoy (2011), Agatti (2011), Lakshadweep and at North Chennai Thermal Power Station (NCTPS), Chennai (2008). The capacity of each of these LTTD plants is 1 lakh liter of potable water per day.

ESSO proposes to set up a LTTD plant with a capacity of generating 2 million litres of potable water per day (2 MLD) at Tuticorin Thermal Power Station, Tamil Nadu and six LTTD plants funded by the Lakshadweep Administration, one each in the islands of Lakshadweep viz., Amini, Chetlet, Kadamath, Kalpeni, Kiltan and Andrott with a capacity of generating one lakh litre of potable water per day.

Union Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Shri S.Jaipal Reddy gave this information in reply to a written question in the Rajya Sabha today.

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