History The exact origins of geothermal desalination are unclear; however some early work is credited to Leon Awerbuch, a scientist working in Research & Development at the Bechtel Group at the time, who proposed the process of using geothermal energy for water desalination in 1972. In 1994, a prototype that used geothermal energy to power desalination was built by Caldor-Marseille. This prototype was able to produce a few cubic meters of desalinated water per day. In 1995, a geothermal desalination prototype plant was built in Tunisia, which is one of the earliest documented cases of a geothermal desalination plant. Its capacity was three cubic meters of water per day, which could meet the needs of the surrounding communities. The cost of water was estimated to be $1.20 per cubic meter.
History The exact origins of geothermal desalination are unclear; however some early work is credited to Leon Awerbuch, a scientist working in Research & Development at the Bechtel Group at the time, who proposed the process of using geothermal energy for water desalination in 1972. In 1994, a prototype that used geothermal energy to power desalination was built by Caldor-Marseille. This prototype was able to produce a few cubic meters of desalinated water per d.ay. In 1995, a geothermal desalination prototype plant was built in Tunisia, which is one of the earliest documented cases of a geothermal desalination plant. Its capacity was three cubic meters of water per day, which could meet the needs of the surrounding communities. The cost of water was estimated to be $120 per cubic meter.