Energy efficiency of the Tajo-Segura water diversion.
The energy consumption of the Tajo-Segura water diversion is not uniform in all the different destinations of the water since, depending on the point to which the water must be diverted, more or less energy is required. The average energy expenditure of the Tajo-Segura water diversion is 1.21 kWh/m3. The energy costs of desalination depend on the type of process used to desalinate the water, the age of the treatment plant, the size of the plant and the density of water treated. However, the energy costs of desalination ranging from 3.8 to 4.2 kWh/m3 are much higher than for the Tajo-Segura water diversion, 1.21 kWh/m3. Owing fundamentally to the energy component, the TS water diversion is more cost efficient than desalination and, therefore, one resource should not be substituted for the other.
Keywords: Energy efficiency, water diversion, Tajo-Segura water diversion.