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CYPRUS IS attracting worldwide attention for a breakthrough research energy programme on a concentrated solar power (CSP) desalination plant, which could solve Cyprus’ energy and water supply headaches. 

The programme looks to use solar energy to simultaneously produce electricity and desalinated water, with the potential of producing up to 5 million extra litres of fresh water a day, according to the British Science Museum’s description.  

ITN News is currently presenting an overview of the research programme online and signalled it out from a number of other studies, currently included in the British Science Museum’s “Water Wars” exhibition. 

The programme, whose studies were conducted by The Cyprus Institute (CYI) in the village of Pentakomo, is funded by the European Commission, under the EU 7th Framework programme. Research started in November 2008 and its final reports were issued in June 2010.

CSP is achieved with the use of strategically placed mirrors, which reflect and focus sunlight onto a central receiver. This transforms solar energy into thermal energy and is stored. This stored thermal energy transforms water into steam which subsequently produces electrical energy through steam turbines.

At the same time, the remaining energy is used to desalimate the water through evaporation. The efficiency of the model is a new development in this field, since the energy that would otherwise be wasted in a normal solar plant would now be used for desalination.

"The model's unique attribute to simultaneously produce water and electricity, and the facility it gives to prioritise on one of the two energy transformations according to demand, are regarded as breakthrough developments" said Georgios Zittis, one of the project's researchers. "Once the water becomes steam, we have the capacity to choose whether to proceed with the energy transformation or store the energy for the nightime" said Zittis.  

The combination of the two processes is the breakthrough many scientists have been waiting for, as it is seen as the answer to many flaring issues faced by the planet, such as the energy crisis and drought. ITN News was positive that more desalinised water would result in higher agricultural production and subsequently a way to tackle hunger.

“This is a promising technology that is still absent in the Mediterranean region” said a CYI source. “It is quite a revolutionary invention.” 

The technological review and feasibility studies of the two-year research showed that the programme was worth the costs and it has already been given the go ahead by the government to proceed with its implementation on a small-scale level. The state has committed to include costs for the full-scale implementation of the plant in its next budget.