Feasibility study and assessment of the technical, administrative and financial viability of the Voltano desalination plant (Agrigento, Sicily) Original Research Article

The Italian Ministry of Public Works has funded a study aimed at assessing the technical feasibility and financial viability of a disalination plant to be implemented in Agrigento, Sicily. The plant, with a design production capacity of 40,000 m3 and an estimated cost of € 120 million, will serve 19 municipalities of the Agrigento province with a total population of 300,000. The study has reviewed all the technologies presently available on the market. An indepth analysis has been carried out on multi-flash and osmosis based processes. For both technologies implementation and operational cost have been assessed. The study has placed particular emphasis on the possible solutions enabling: energy saving; power co-generation (multi-flashes); renewable energy sources (reverse osmosis). The study has also explored the potential for the production of Aeolian energy and identified solutions ensuring from 20,000 kW to 30,000 kW. Each solution has taken into account current town planning regulations, environmental impacts, possible mitigation measures, pre-treatment requirements, water in-take works, production waste dumping structures, as well as operation and management problems to be tackled. Implementation and operation costs have also been estimated. The study provides an assessment of the administrative, institutional and financial viability of the proposed solutions, in compliance with regional plans and regulations. Econometric models have been developed in order to enable project financing and water tariffs to be established.