2006 was the eighth year of a drought that is plaguing Beijing. However, Bohai, just 100 kilometers from Beijing, has vast seawater resources. Experts believe that desalinating seawater and transporting it to Beijing might be one viable way to resolve the water shortage the city is experiencing. China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) plans to construct a seawater desalination chemical plant capable of putting out 1.4 million cubic meters water per day. When seawater is desalinated and calcified, it can be supplied as drinking water. The water could be directly transported to Beijing's waterworks through the pipeline CNOOC is currently submitting the findings of a feasibility report to supply water to Beijing.

The Beijing Evening News reported that Guo Youzhi, the director of the International Desalination Association (IDA) and an expert in the field, said that in the past, the cost of desalinating seawater has been too prohibitive. However, in recent years, the cost has fallen. Including the cost of transport, the total cost of desalinated seawater is estimated to be about 4.5 yuan per cubic meter. Beijing can take the desalinating seawater as the second water resources. In Caofieidian, Tangshan city, CNOOC plans to build China's largest seawater desalination plant. In addition to supplying water for industrial use to New Capital Steel, petrochemical works and power plants, it will also supply water to Beijing.

By People's Daily Online