The setup of the new MCDI plant – Voltea IS12 – with a desalination capacity of up to 30 L/min is being carried out at the facilities of HsKA University. The IS12 system consists of 12 electrode modules (C17, Voltea®). Pilot trials will include desalination of model water (NaCl and multi-ion solution) based on Moroccan groundwater with salinity as high as 10 g/L. The desalination of seawater ( > 30 g/L) and brackish water (1 – 30 g/L) is an energy-intensive process.
With the SmaCuMed box, novel technologies will be tested to produce high-quality water for irrigation with the use of only renewable energy source, solar PV. The tests in the HsKA laboratory will allow the optimization of the operational parameters for the MCDI system, which will be piloted in 2 trial tests in Morocco. Pilot trials are planned to start later this year.
MCDI Modules with Electrical CabinetMCDI system with 1 cu. meter tanksPhoto courtesy : Ulrich Hellriege
The new MCDI Industrial series unit arrived at the University of Applied Sciences Karlsruhe on Tuesday 22.December 2020
The new MCDI system for the pilot has arrived at the University of Applied Sciences Karlsruhe on Tuesday 22.December 2020. Like a Christmas miracle, the new MCDI industrial series plant arrives at Karlsruhe just before Christmas.
The SmaCuMed project is going in full swing even during the pandemic. The plant is planned to be assembled and set into operation by January 2021.
MCDI system being unloadedMCDI modules being unloadedMCDI system securely placed in the labMCDI module securely placed in the lab
The innovation of SmaCuMed is to develop a new concept for a sustainable all-in-one irrigation system and to pilot it locally in Morocco. “Morocco is a typically Mediterranean country suffering from severe water poverty. But water is urgently needed for the rapidly developing agricultural production,” explains Prof. Hoinkis. “Because of climate change, Morocco, like other Mediterranean countries, cannot rely on rainfall or groundwater sources to meet its water needs for agriculture. Many groundwater sources, especially in coastal regions, are salinated (brackish water) and cannot be used for agricultural irrigation,” Hoinkis continues. Morocco has a large potential of brackish water with an estimated salinity of between 1 and 16 g/l.
The SmaCuMed concept is based on a mobile cube-shaped unit equipped with highly efficient PV panels, allowing autonomous operation. It will use a modular desalination system for brackish water based on Capacitive Deionisation (CDI), a new desalination process that has not yet established itself on the water treatment market. In this process, salt water flows between two porous electrodes made of activated carbon, to which a voltage is applied. The positive ions are attracted by the negatively charged electrode, the negative ions by the positively charged electrode. This removes salts from the water flow. In addition, low-pressure reverse osmosis (ND-UO) is used for higher salt concentrations. With the pilot project in Morocco both technologies will be systematically investigated and compared. It will be evaluated at which salt concentrations the CDI, the ND-UO or a combination of both can be used. The energy supply for the entire process is to be provided by regenerative PV energy to enable autonomous operation of the plants without grid connection.
Environmental and social changes have serious impacts on food and water resources in the Mediterranean region. Climate change, non-renewable agricultural practices, overexploitation of natural resources and new lifestyles are putting a strain on sustainable and healthy development in many Mediterranean regions. The PRIMA initiative was launched by the EU to address these challenges through research and innovation solutions. The aim of the initiative is to build research and innovation capacity, promote knowledge and develop joint innovative solutions for sustainable agriculture and food systems and integrated water supply and management in the Mediterranean region. The aim is to improve their climate resilience, effectiveness, cost-efficiency and environmental and social sustainability and to contribute to upstream solutions to problems of water scarcity, food security, health, quality of life and migration.
(Photo: Marion Broda) Kick-of-meeting of the research project SmaCuMed on sustainable irrigation in Morocco, held online at the Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences 2nd from left: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jan Hoinkis
