Wind-turbine waste heat for desalination: a scoping review and research agenda

Abstract

Using wind-turbine waste heat for seawater desalination could boost efficiency and water security, but evidence is scarce. A scoping review (2018–2024) found 28 studies; only four quantified integration with thermal desalination. Available heat is low–mid grade (≈100–150 °C) with recoverable power of hundreds of kilowatts. Modeling a 7.58 MW turbine (~231 kW at 140 °C) driving multi-effect distillation yields ≈45 m³/day (~0.52 L/s), serving ~900 people at 50 L·cap−1·day−1. Simulated nanofluid enhancements show up to 30% gains, without experimental validation. No levelized cost of water estimates or field demonstrations were found. We conclude the concept is technically plausible but remains at the simulation stage. Key barriers include temperature mismatch, moving heat from nacelles, thermal storage, corrosion, and economics. Priorities include robust heat-recovery hardware, TES/heat-pump integration, corrosion control, techno-economic modeling, and pilot trials in wind-rich coasts such as La Guajira.