What about water…?

[johnofgwent]

How about a national water grid?

That won't work. In short, the energy required to pump it is just too huge. That's from a report from a water company looking to get in on the gas and electric deregulation profits.

[patman post]

Not sure what run of desalinated water means, but I get your gist.
There's a plant just along the Thames, it isn't doing much, despite the recent dry spell.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11080931/Thames-Waters-250million-desalination-plant-designed-supply-water-400-000-homes-turned-OFF.html

It was badly sited. Never mind, we can build others on the Kent coast as long as NIMBYs don't stop us. However they do take rather a a lot of electricity to run, possibly 35 MW so they need their own substation. 35 MW is about 0.1% of the whole demand of the UK.
Did I mention there is an energy crisis, a cost of living crisis and a water shortage at the same time?
Dubai gets nearly all its power from gas.
Israel is sitting on a massive gas field and the EU are hoping it will soon get pumped their way.

Left an F off — but I'll leave it there.

Many modern desalination plants are of the reverse osmosis type, and the power requirements could have been supplied by renewables — especially as the extra water requirement is seasonable and during sunny periods.

Why would the UK slavishly follow other countries, once the basic technology is available? It doesn't have oodles of fossil fuels to spare. But it does have sunshine, waves and wind...

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/reverse-osmosis

[cromwell]

How about a national water grid?

Like I said it's about investment,Kielder water was built to feed an industrial North east and then maggie arrived.....it's grossly underused.

I don't think we need desalination plants we need reservoirs and investment to stop waste.

[Barry]

How about a national water grid?

[Barry]

The UK is made up of islands surrounded by water.

If Dubai and Israel can run of desalinated water, what's holding the UK back from making all the freshwater it wants...?

Not sure what run of desalinated water means, but I get your gist.
There's a plant just along the Thames, it isn't doing much, despite the recent dry spell.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11080931/Thames-Waters-250million-desalination-plant-designed-supply-water-400-000-homes-turned-OFF.html

It was badly sited. Never mind, we can build others on the Kent coast as long as NIMBYs don't stop us. However they do take rather a a lot of electricity to run, possibly 35 MW so they need their own substation. 35 MW is about 0.1% of the whole demand of the UK.
Did I mention there is an energy crisis, a cost of living crisis and a water shortage at the same time?
Dubai gets nearly all its power from gas.
Israel is sitting on a massive gas field and the EU are hoping it will soon get pumped their way. 

[cromwell]

The UK is made up of islands surrounded by water.

If Dubai and Israel can run of desalinated water, what's holding the UK back from making all the freshwater it wants...?

The Uk shouldn't need to,it's about investment

[patman post]

The UK is made up of islands surrounded by water. 

If Dubai and Israel can run of desalinated water, what's holding the UK back from making all the freshwater it wants...?