Cooling towers in the industry, including power plants, consume a lot of water. As much as 80% of the water consumption of fossil fuel plants and 50% of the water used by the refineries are allocated to the cooling tower. Water losses in these units include evaporation, blowdown, and a very small part due to the small droplets in the steam outlet. Total water losses should be provided by compensatory water. Given the scarcity of water resources in the country and the rate of water consumption in power plants, finding a solution to reduce water consumption can be strategic for the country's water resources management.
With reference to the above, the optimal use of water inputs and water and wastewater reuse is of great importance. Considering the upstream documents of the country and the needs of power plants, in this project, the use of new membrane technologies aimed at reducing water consumption and the possibility of re-circulation of water in one of the most used industries (power plants) were studied. The use of two membrane technologies including forward osmosis (FO) and membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI) have been considered. After reviewing the basics and applications of the these technologies in reducing water use, a five year comprehensive research program that addresses the needs of the water and power industry and the Ministry of Energy's plans was presented. Based on a comprehensive research plan, a five-year roadmap was proposed to be conducted as annual research plans.