Using nuclear power to create freshwater from saline groundwater

Nuclear power can be effectively used to create freshwater from saline groundwater (or seawater) through integrated desalination systems that harness both the heat and electricity produced by nuclear reactors.world-nuclear+3

How Nuclear Desalination Works

• Nuclear reactors generate large amounts of thermal energy, which can be utilized for desalination processes such as Multi-Effect Distillation (MED), Multi-Stage Flash (MSF) distillation, or Reverse Osmosis (RO).forbes+3

• The integration of desalination plants with nuclear power stations allows for more efficient use of energy: waste heat from power generation is repurposed, lowering overall energy requirements by roughly half compared to standalone desalination.sciencedirect+2

• Thermal desalination methods are considered optimal when waste heat is available, while electrical energy from the reactor powers membrane systems like RO.enen+2

Global Examples and Current Projects

• Several countries, including Russia, Egypt, China, India, Japan, and South Korea, have operational or planned nuclear desalination projects using waste heat and/or electricity from nuclear plants for freshwater production.iaea+4

• Notable small modular reactor (SMR) designs like South Korea’s SMART, Argentina’s CAREM, and China’s NHR-200 are specifically developed for cogeneration—simultaneous electricity and desalination.sciencedirect+3

• For example, China’s Hongyanhe project utilizes waste heat from nuclear reactors for a 10,080 m³/day seawater desalination system. Similar approaches are being piloted in arid regions and industrial zones globally.wastewater.watertechsh+2

Suitability for Saline Groundwater

• While most nuclear desalination focuses on seawater due to its abundance, the same technology can be adapted to saline groundwater or brackish water sources.iaea+1

• Desalination technologies (especially RO) are commonly used for treating brackish groundwater, and integrating these systems with nuclear reactors enables higher efficiency and reliability.idrawater+1

• The World Nuclear Association and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) highlight multiple reactor-years of safe, successful operations with nuclear desalination using various water sources and scales.world-nuclear+1

Economic and Environmental Aspects

• Nuclear-powered desalination offers a sustainable and zero-carbon solution compared to fossil-fuel-powered alternatives, aligning with climate and net-zero targets.aquatechtrade+2

• The primary hurdles remain capital costs, regulatory and investment frameworks, and public acceptance.nucnet+1

• Operational costs are competitive, with large integrated projects in Egypt aiming to produce freshwater for less than $1/m³ using nuclear MED + RO.forbes+1

Summary Table: Nuclear Desalination vs Conventional

Aspect	Nuclear Desalination	Fossil-Fuel Desalination
Energy Source	Nuclear (waste heat + electricity)enen	Oil, gas, or coalenen+1
Greenhouse Emissions	Very low/zeroiaea	Highcna
Water Source	Seawater/brackish/groundwaterworld-nuclear	Primarily seawaterforbes
Economic Competitiveness	High for large-scaleworld-nuclear+1	Varies, often less efficientworld-nuclear+1
Deployment Examples	Russia, China, Egypt, SK, India, Japanworld-nuclear+2	Middle East, Israel, Japancna
Technology Used	MSF/MED/RO with reactor couplingworld-nuclear+2	MSF/MED/RO powered by fossil fuelscna+1

Nuclear desalination is a promising, sustainable way to address water scarcity by producing freshwater from saline or brackish groundwater—especially viable in regions with acute water shortages and existing nuclear energy infrastructure.enen+4

1. https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/non-power-nuclear-applications/industry/nuclear-desalination
2. https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/nuclear-desalination-a-sustainable-solution-for-water-security-in-the-arab-region
3. https://enen.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/1-Caruso-Nuclear-Desalination-.pdf
4. https://www.iaea.org/bulletin/harnessing-nuclear-power-for-desalination-to-secure-freshwater-resources
5. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2019/07/14/megadroughts-and-desalination-another-pressing-need-for-nuclear-power/
6. https://www.aquatechtrade.com/news/desalination/atomic-powered-decentralised-desalination
7. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666790821000045
8. https://cna.ca/2016/04/20/cleaning-water-nuclear/
9. https://wastewater.watertechsh.com/2025/03/18/advancing-water-security-chinas-latest-seawater-desalination-technologies-in-2025/
10. https://www.nucnet.org/news/arab-countries-look-to-nuclear-for-desalination-but-technology-needs-investment-5-5-2025
11. https://akkuyu.com/en/news/common-station-desalination-plant-started-operating-at-akkuyu-npp-site
12. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002954932300746X
13. https://www.bakerinstitute.org/sites/default/files/2025-05/20250507-Collins-Nuclear%20Reactors%20and%20Permian%20Basin-WP.pdf
14. https://www.bakerinstitute.org/research/small-modular-reactors-nuclear-desalination-and-cogeneration-permian-basin
15. https://idrawater.org/news/can-nuclear-energy-transform-freshwater-access/
16. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-61483491
17. https://www.reddit.com/r/NuclearPower/comments/vgdbn4/nuclear_power_is_green_we_need_power_we_can/
18. https://www.reddit.com/r/nuclear/comments/y3g1xq/why_cant_nuclear_plants_use_ocean_water_and/
19. https://revolve.media/features/nuclear-desalination