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Nuclear desalination will boost water security in UAE

Water and energy security will get a strong push if the desalination plants in the UAE are linked to nuclear power stations, said an expert at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MIST).

Dr Yousuf Shatilla, Dean of Academic Programs, and Professor - Mechanical Engineering at MIST also said that nuclear desalination has become a well known technology in the world and its advantage is well reflected in the number of such plants in several countries.

Dr. Shatilla’s remarks came close on the heels of the announcement by the Desalination magazine naming him as one of the guest co-editors of a special issue of the magazine along with Dr Ebrahim Khamis, Nuclear Power Technology Development Section, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

‘Since the creation of modern UAE, most of the water needs have been met through seawater desalination. The UAE is no stranger to the world of desalination as some of the largest desalination plants in the world are right here in our own backyard’, Dr Shatilla said.

Nuclear desalination is basically the same as conventional desalination, except for the source of energy, which comes from a nuclear power plant. Nuclear desalination plants have been deployed in various parts of the world ranging from developed to developing countries with commanding success. This gives confidence that such an undertaking, if implemented, will definitely be a huge addition to UAE’s water and energy security.’, he added.