China starts construction on desalination project to meet water demand in Beijing

China has started construction on a desalination project on the shores of Bohai Bay near the industrial city of Tangshan to meet the water demands in Beijing.

Limited rainfall and declining water resources have been affecting the Chinese capital located in the arid northeastern part, reports Bloomberg.

Expected to be operational by 2019, the project will have a daily capacity to treat 120,000 tons of seawater and supply 50,000 tons of potable water. The treated water will be supplied to Beijing through 170 mile pipeline.

Bohai Bay plant is likely to involve an investment of CNY7bn ($1.1bn), according to local media reports. An additional CNY10bn ($1.36bn) is expected to be spent for setting up the Beijing pipeline.

Aqualyng China is responsible for the construction of the facility and its operations.

The project is however expected to involve high energy costs, which will also increase the cost of desalinated water supply for Beijing.

The project is a part of the country’s initiative to quadruple its desalination capacity by 2020. China plans to produce 3 million tons (807 million gallons) of treated water a day, under the government’s Special Plan for Seawater Utilization.