Rescue operations in drought crisis: A ray of hope for the Marshall Islands

Drought Relief in the Marshall Islands

On Kili, a remote atoll in the Marshall Islands, the region's second permanent solar and wind-powered water desalination plant is now operational. Earlier this year similar plant was installed on Utrik, 400 miles to the north providing pure, safe water for the islanders that have suffered from many years of drought.

On Kili, Tom Vance of Moana Marine LLC installed two Spectra LB-2800 reverse osmosis desalination systems, which provides over 5,000 gallons per day of clean, fresh, EPA-approved drinking water from seawater. Before the installation, Kili's 600 residents suffered not only from drought, but from polluted ground water, which had to be boiled before drinking.

A typical desalinating plant of this size would be powered by a diesel generator. Because of the energy efficiency of the Spectra desalination systems, the whole plant can be powered by wind and solar power, saving tens of thousands per year in fuel costs. Moreover, With increasingly expensive fuel and unreliable supplies due to seasonal rough seas, alternative energy-powered systems are the only way to assure a consistent, affordable water supply.

Spectra uses proprietary energy-recovery pumps, making their systems the most energy-efficient in the industry, and therefore the best for solar and wind-powered installations.

The islanders are now self-sufficient and able to maintain their watermakers with very little outside help.