Engineers complete maintenance on island desalination system

Fresh water is available for use at An Bình Islet of Lý Sơn Islands in Quảng Ngãi Province. Two seawater desalination plants, donated by Doosan Vina, fully resumed operation after maintenance in 2020-22. Photo courtesy of Doosan Vina

LÝ SƠN ISLANDS, QUẢNG NGÃI  — Engineers and workers from Korean heavy industry Doosan Enerbility Vietnam (Doosan Vina) have completed the maintenance of two seawater desalination plants to supply enough fresh water for islanders in An Binh islet of Lý Sơn Islands.

The two desalination plants can now operate six hours per day, and solar power produces about 40 cubic metres of fresh water a day for 500 residents in the dry season.

Doosan Vina said a total cost of more than VNĐ1 billion (more than US$46,000) had been used to cover the two maintenance works in 2020-2022, allowing the Reverse Osmosis (RO) water systems to operate well for the long-term providing enough water during a shortage of input power sources on the islet.

The islet cannot access the national grid, and diesel-driven generators only supply limited power to islanders and visitors.

In 2017, a 96 kWp (kilowatt peak for a solar module) solar power system was built on the islet to supply limited power for each family using bulbs, a TV set and fans only.

Engineers and workers from Korean heavy industry Doosan Enerbility Vietnam (Doosan Vina) repairing a seawater desalination plant in An Bình Islet to resume supplying fresh water for islanders in the dry season. Photo courtesy of Doosan Vina

The two desalination plants with a value of nearly $1 million, donated by Doosan Vina, have provided daily fresh water supplies for more than 120 households since 2012.

An Bình Islet is an untouched eco-tour site off Quảng Ngãi Province. It has been designed as the first non-carbon site in Việt Nam with renewable energy projects using tidal power, solar power-driven stoves and Energy Storage Systems. — VNS