Island desalination plant application: example of Xiaoqin Island, Shandong, China

Xiaoqin Island is located 40 kilometers north of the Changdao Archipelago, with an area of ​​1.14 square kilometers, a population of less than 1,000 inhabitants and an average annual rainfall of 504.7 millimeters and without water tables groundwater, which represents a serious water shortage. To survive these difficult conditions, the inhabitants of Xiaoqin have become specialists in the collection of fresh rainwater from basins and cellars. But these solutions had little effect, and many local residents started to flee out to big cities inland. One of the locals remembered this period with great emotion: When I had good quality water, I kept it for the guests!

In 2017, Xiaoqin benefited from a desalination unit of 100 CM/day as part of the "Implementation plan for the islands' seawater desalination program", piloted by the National Development Commission and Reform and the National Administration of Oceans. The Xiaoqin desalination unit has opted for the beach well method to recover seawater. This water is filtered by sea rocks before being transported to a basin to undergo the reverse osmosis treatment. A diesel engine was installed to produce the necessary electricity to run the unit. After the installation was finished, intensive training was provided for two local technicians.

Since its launch two years ago, the lives of Xiaoqin residents have improved significantly. The provincial government has duplicated this experience to other Islands in the Changdao Archipelago, including Cheyou Island, Gaoshan Island, Houji Island and the Temple Island. The example of Xiaoqin island could also be duplicated in Africa to cover the drinking water needs of the inhabitants of island regions and coastal villages who suffer from water scarcity.