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The Panama Canal Authority derives ~3 G$ in fees over ~14 K crossings per year for a average cost of ~200 K$ per crossing. 40 M gallons is ~150 K*m^3. Modern b
by Veserv 3y ago
The Panama Canal Authority derives ~3 G$ in fees over ~14 K crossings per year for a average cost of ~200 K$ per crossing.
40 M gallons is ~150 K*m^3. Modern bulk desalination turns seawater into potable fresh water at ~0.40 $/m^3, so only ~60 K$. The cost of filtering out any incidental saltwater mixing should be a tiny fraction of that cost.
Even at full desalination it would only constitute ~30% cost increase. Given the minimal amount of filtering that should be required for incidental mixture, it is hard to call that a great expense except in relation to rainwater.
- ok_dad 3y ago30% is a large increase to a canal that we use for a huge portion of our consumer goods, I think. I do agree that they soups build desalination plants now, so they can use them in twenty years when they’re finished and the drought is even worse!
- Veserv 3y agoA Neopanamax vessel is allowed to transport 120,000 metric tons of cargo [1]. ~60 K$ would only amount to 0.50 $/t of extra cost. That is only low single-digit percentage increased shipping cost [2]. And again, that is the cost of desalinating 100% seawater, not the proportionally cheaper cost of desalinating whatever single-digit to maybe low double-digit percent you would actually get from incidental mixture during reclamation. [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panamax https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panamax [2] https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/rmt2022_en.pdf https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/rmt2022_en...
- ok_dad 3y agoGood points, I hope the canal authority gets on that! It seems a no brainier to set up even a small desalination plant to make up for droughts.