Cited by 30Membrane-based Ion Separation TechniquesMembrane Separation TechnologiesSolar-Powered Water Purification Methods

Techno-Economic Feasibility of Photovoltaic Solar Electrodialysis with Bipolar Membranes

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Herrero-Gonzalez, Marta, Culcasi, Andrea, Tamburini, Alessandro, Ibañez, Raquel, Cipollina, Andrea, Micale, Giorgio·2024·Desalination

Abstract

Electrodialysis with bipolar membranes (EDBM) can transform desalination brines into acids and bases through the application of an electric field. Nevertheless, the widespread of EDBM is limited by its high energy consumption, typically based on fossil fuels. Yet, the integration of EDBM with renewable energy sources, like solar photovoltaic (PV), remains unexplored. This study presents a techno-economic analysis of PV-EDBM to produce NaOH and HCl from seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) brines. An integrated PV-EDBM model was developed and applied to a hypothetical PV-EDBM plant located in the SWRO facility of Lampedusa (Italy). Results revealed that PV has no negative impact on the performance in terms of product concentration, specific energy consumption and current efficiency. Meanwhile, the levelized cost of NaOH for PV-EDBM was reduced by 20 % in comparison to the electrical grid mix, achieving 210 €·ton−1 NaOH on an annual average for PV-EDBM. Therefore, the investment associated with PV is offset by the benefits of reduced electricity costs from the grid. Consequently, EDBM emerges as a feasible solution to addressing resource scarcity, representing a significant step towards integrating renewable energies with advanced wastewater treatment technologies, thus paving the path to a greener future.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.desal.2024.117624

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  • Integrating renewable energy sources such as solar power and wind could reduce energy costs and improve the sustainability of the ED process.

    “integrating renewable energy sources, such as solar power and wind, could reduce energy costs and improve the sustainability of the ED process”

    From Electrochemical Direct Lithium Extraction: A Review of Electrodialysis and Capacitive Deionization Technologies (2025) · cites this paper as [73]

    The techno-economic analysis (p. 8) finds that solar PV reduced the levelized cost of NaOH by an average of 20% compared with grid-powered EDBM. The Conclusions (p. 10) also report reduced emissions. The paper studies solar-powered EDBM, however, not wind power or ED processes generally. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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Authors
Herrero-Gonzalez, M., Culcasi, A., Tamburini, A., Ibañez, R., Cipollina, A., & Micale, G.
Affiliations
  • Universidad de Cantabria (ES)
  • University of Palermo (IT)
Corresponding author
  • Herrero-Gonzalez, Marta
  • Cipollina, Andrea
Venue
Desalination
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2024-08
Volume
582
Pages
117624
ISSN
0011-9164 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4394725322
Cited by
29
References
55
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 7
FWCI
3.19
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Desalination (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • IRIS UniPA (University of Palermo) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • UCrea (University of Cantabria) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders
  • Gobierno de España Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (TED2021-129874B-I00)
  • Gobierno de Espana Ministerio de Universidades
  • Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
  • European Commission
  • Agencia Estatal de Investigación
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Membrane-based Ion Separation Techniques
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Membrane Separation Technologies
  • Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Solar-Powered Water Purification Methods
Keywords
photovoltaics, electrodialysis with bipolar membranes, reverse osmosis brine, seawater desalination, sodium hydroxide production, hydrochloric acid production, levelized cost of electricity, specific energy consumption, current efficiency, renewable energy integration, techno-economic analysis, Lampedusa

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