MEDITERRANEAN-DEAD SEA HYDRO-SOLAR DEVELOPMENT FOR CO-GENERATION

Abstract

Concerns over the global environment and the Gulf (oil) crisis in August 1990's Iraq invasion have improved our understanding of the importance of clean energy such as non-polluting hydroelectric power. By the year 2000, water and oil will be the predominant resources issues of the Middle East. A new cogeneration method for the Israel/Jordan Mediterranean-Dead Sea hydro-solar scheme is proposed herewith, which aims to exploit both electricity and fresh water by desalination from the Mediterranean Sea, would exploit the 400 m elevation difference between the two seas by including hydro-electricstations and seawater reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plants. The co-generation system could produce 480 MW of electricity and 86, 400 m³ per day of fresh water from Mediterranean Sea. The generated power will be shared by the two countries, while the product of freshwater of 30 MCM (×10⁶) per annum will be used exclusively for the water supply in the central Ghor (Jordan Valley).