Application of gas-turbine exhaust gases for brackish water desalination: a techno-economic evaluation G.Th. Vlachos a , J.K. Kaldellis b, * a Internal Combustion Engines Laboratory, Mechanical Engineering Deparment, Technical Education Institute of Piraeus, TEI Piraeus, P.O. Box 41046, Athens 12201, Greece b Laboratory of Soft Energy Applications and Environmental Protection, Technical Education Institute of Piraeus, TEI Piraeus, P.O. Box 41046, Athens 12201, Greece Received 9 February 2004; accepted 8 May 2004 Available online 25 June 2004 Abstract Duringthelast20years,theelectricitygenerationsystemofCreteIslandhasbeenactuallybasedonthe operation of several gas-turbines, presenting an annual utilization factor higher than 50%. Despite the undeniableadvantagesofmoderngas-turbines,onecannotdisregardthehugequantitiesofhotexhausted gasesproduced,containingalmosttwothirdsofthechemicalenergyoffuelconsumed.Ontheotherhand, theislandfacesseriouswaterresourcesinsufficiencyproblems,especiallyduringhotperiodsoftheyear.In this context, the island electricity generation utility (Public Power Corporation (PPC)) is planning to allocate the so far unexploited exhausted gases of a recently installed gas-turbine (LM-6000) at the Linoperamata–Heraklion power station to the neighboring municipality of Gaziou. The main idea elab- orated in the present study is the techno-economic evaluation of a new desalination plant, utilizing a thermal desalination process and taking advantage of the heat content of the above-mentioned gas- turbine.Accordingtotheresultsobtained,itisalmostcertainthattheproposeddesalinationplantisableto produceanamountofcleanwateradequatetocoverthelocalhabitants’needsatamoderatecost,notonly savingalmost15,000tonesofimportedoilperyearbutalsoalleviatingthelocalenvironmentfromseveral flue gases. Ó 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Desalination; Cogeneration; Gas-turbine; Production cost * Correspondingauthor.Address:LaboratoryofSoftEnergyApplicationsandEnvironmentalProtection,Technical EducationInstituteofPiraeus,TEIPiraeus,P.O.Box41046,Athens12201,Greece.Tel.:+30-210-538-1237;fax:+30- 210-538-1348. E-mail address: jkald@teipir.gr (J.K. Kaldellis). 1359-4311/$ - see front matter Ó 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2004.05.005 Applied Thermal Engineering 24 (2004) 2487–2500 www.elsevier.com/locate/apthermeng