Shanghai & Tianjin - Seawater Desalination Facilities and Waste Management - From November 2006 to the Current State in 2024
In 2006, rapid urbanization and population growth in coastal cities of China, particularly in Shanghai and Tianjin, resulted in severe water shortages, prompting the construction of seawater desalination facilities. In a facility operated by "Shanghai Desalination Technology Co., Ltd.," seawater desalination produces a byproduct known as brine, which contains high concentrations of salt, calcium, magnesium, and other minerals. If released untreated into the ocean, this brine poses potential harm to marine ecosystems. Therefore, strict standards for managing salt concentration and toxic substances are applied to mitigate environmental impacts. In 2006, efforts began to reuse some brine as raw materials for cement factories and chemical fertilizer production, with Tianjin reprocessing approximately 100,000 tons of brine annually, establishing a basis for sustainable waste management.
Entering the 2020s, seawater desalination facilities in China further expanded. By the end of 2020, 135 desalination projects were operating nationwide with a total daily processing capacity of approximately 1.65 million tons. Government regulations have also tightened, enforcing stricter discharge standards for brine. For example, "Shanghai Desalination Technology Co., Ltd." processes around 100,000 tons of brine annually, extracting valuable materials such as sodium chloride and magnesium for industrial use. Additionally, improvements in energy efficiency and the integration of renewable energy have advanced; a facility in Tianjin has reduced annual energy consumption by about 15 percent through solar power.
In this way, seawater desalination facilities in China's coastal areas pursue a balance between environmental protection and the sustainable use of water resources, with ongoing advancements in reducing environmental burdens and reusing waste.
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