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The Red Sea–Dead Sea desalination project is a joint initiative to promote regional cooperation among Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority. As a result of such cooperation, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on 9 December 2013 at the World Bank in Washington DC in which all parties agreed to start the implementation of phase 1 of the project. The MoU has been followed by signing of a project bi-lateral agreement between Jordan and Israel on 26 February 2015 in which both parties have agreed on the modalities of their cooperation in all stages of the project and on management and procedures. The project aims to extract 190–300 million cubic meters per year (mcm/y) of seawater from the Red Sea and convey them via pipelines to a desalination plant north of Aqaba airport in Jordan to produce about 65–85 mcm/y of desalinated fresh water of which 35–50 mcm/y are to be supplied to Israel in the south. In exchange, Israel will supply about 30 mcm/y to the northern governorates in Jordan at a previously agreed price. Also, 30 mcm/y will be supplied to the Aqaba region, and the brine and seawater of about 110–220 mcm/y are to be discharged to the Dead Sea. Phase II comprises increase in the amount of desalinated water by construction of a second treatment plant south of the Dead Sea with a water transmission system to deliver additional fresh water to Amman. The additional quantities are yet to be defined. Ultimately, the project aims to augment Jordan’s water resources and replenish, or at least maintain, the level of the Dead Sea water, hence preserving its environment and economic benefits. To implement the RSDS regional project based on a BOT scheme, the Government of Jordan is seeking private sector participation and partnership with a capacity to build, operate and transfer of a desalination plant, water and brine pipelines, booster pump stations and provide technology and knowledge transfer to Jordanian counterparts. The capital cost of the project is expected to be approximately USD 950 million to provide 65–85 mcm of desalinated water annually. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Red Sea (RS) to Dead Sea (DS) water transfer project in Jordan under the sponsorship of the World Bank is intended to stop the sea-level decline of the DS as well as for the desalination of RS water and for hydroelectric power generation. Red Sea Brine (RSB ~7.13%) disposal to the DS (~34%) creates a salinity gradient of interest for PRO hydroelectric power generation and the prospects of such an application are explored in the present study with the most advanced existing tools including a new Closed Circuit PRO technology (CC-PRO) of near absolute energy efficiency without need of ERD and a recent PRO membrane (HTI-TFC) of the highest reported strength to withstand applied pressure up to 48.3 bar. Power generation prospects from RSB–DS using CC-PRO with HTI-TFC are assessed in the actual/ideal flux ratio (β) range 0.123–0.400 and High Salinity Feed (DS as draw solution) to permeation flow ratio (δ) range 1–25. The minimumβ = 0.123 for said process is established from available PRO experimental data with HTI-TFC for 0.6–3.0 M NaCl salinity gradients accounting for the presence of considerable concentrations of divalent cations such as Ca and Mg in DS water. The Net Electric Power (NEP) generation prospects from the RSB–DS Jordanian project using CC-PRO and HTI-TFC are assessed on the basis of 120 Mm3/year RSB availability for mixing with DS water. The results of this study accounting for the pressure limitation of HTI-TFC reveal NEP generation prospects of 7,753 kW under the conditions ofδ = 1.0 andβ = 0.123-0.200 from the RSB–DS gradient, or a supplement of 56.6% more power on top of the conventional hydroelectric power generation facility of the project (~13,698 kW). If the HTI-TFC membrane, or alike, could be made to operate at maximum PRO pressures of 60 and 86 bar, the CC-PRO NEP availability from RSB–DS is expected to rise to 9,767 kW (71.3%) and 13,219 kW (96.5%), respectively, with added power to the project indicated in parenthesis. In simple terms, the current state of the art revealed in this study suggest the immediate availability of the CC-PRO technology with HTI-TFC membranes for economical NEP generation from the RSB–DS gradient in the context of the Jordanian project with future improvements of membranes to withstand higher applied pressures expected to improve the economic feasibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the rapid drying out of the Dead Sea is one of the most challenging problems facing the scientists and governments of the region. Its level has dropped more than 20 m in the past decade. Massive precipitation of halite from the water column has led to a decrease in Na+ concentration, concomitant with an increase in Mg2+, making the lake supersaturated with NaCl. This situation presents a big challenge to the microbial life of the lake. However, despite these harsh conditions in the lake, several microorganisms, including members of the groups bacteria, unicellular algae, fungi, viruses, and Archaea, have been able to survive. To understand the factors that affect the microbes in the Dead Sea and to predict the possible effects of the planned conveyance of Red Sea water to the Dead Sea, a series of experiments were performed in the field, as well as in the laboratory. The results of the laboratory experiments showed that the growth of the Dunaliella was possible only when Dead Sea water was diluted with a minimum of 10% (by volume) Red Sea water. Addition of phosphate was essential for the algae to grow and growth rates and yields increased with increasing phosphate concentration and decreasing salinity. Field experiments revealed that the growth of algae was rapidly followed by the development of dense blooms of red halophilic Archaea. Although it should be realized that the closed system formed by the shallow ponds differs from the conditions in the lake, the results suggest that a microbial bloom, once formed, can remain present in the Dead Sea for months to years. These observations are important when attempting to predict how the biological properties of the lake may change in the future and they have important implications for the planning of the Red Sea-Dead Sea conduit. The "Peace Conduit", a water carrier between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, has been proposed to prevent the drying out of the lake and to restore the water level to a desired elevation. The present simulation experiments were designed at the Al Hussein bin Talal University (AHU) field station at Ma'an to get information on the ecological impacts of the Dead Sea when the "Peace Conduit" plans are implemented and massive quantities of Red Sea water will enter the Dead Sea and lower the salinity of the upper water layers. Preliminary analysis was carried out of Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) and Polar lipid of Archaea and Bacteria collected from the experimental ponds containing different Dead Sea-Red Sea water ratios, in order to analyze how they affect the microbial communities of the ponds. The Archaea community changed significantly according to the water mixture, presenting the greatest diversity when 30% Red Sea water was added to Dead Sea water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Dead Sea is a severely disturbed ecosystem. Its water level has been decreasing at a rate of nearly 1 m per year during the last decade due to anthropogenic intervention in its water balance. Since the peace treaty between Israel and Jordan was established in 1994, a proposal for the construction of a water carrier, the “Peace Conduit,” between the Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea) and the Dead Sea is being investigated. This water carrier is intended to mitigate damaging processes that currently occur in the Dead Sea and its surrounding area. The difference in elevation of about 416 m could be exploited for seawater desalination by reverse osmosis. To examine the possible effects of the mixing of Dead Sea brines with seawater and seawater concentrates on the Dead Sea as an ecosystem, we have set up simulation experiments under field conditions in experimental ponds at Sedom, in which Dead Sea water was diluted with Red Sea water. The main components of the Dead Sea biota are the unicellular green alga Dunaliella and several types of red halophilic Archaea. Phosphate is the limiting inorganic nutrient. Massive Dunaliella blooms developed, accompanied by dense communities of red halophilic Archaea, in some of the experimental ponds, imparting a brown-red coloration to the brines. The extent of biological development depended on the extent of dilution and on phosphate availability. The results of the simulation experiments show that biological phenomena and their impact on the Dead Sea ecosystem should be taken into consideration during the planning of the “Peace Conduit.” [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A project to link the Dead Sea (DS) to the Red Sea (RS) via a canal is undergoing extensive study. In a previous work, a generalised mathematical model describing the behaviour of the Dead Sea has been developed. Here, the model is extended to include the proposed canal project with a desalination plant. The general effects of a DS–RS Canal predicted by the model were the formation of a permanent two-layer system thus re-establishing stratification conditions, an increase in the evaporation rate due to a decrease in the top layer salinity, the cease in aragonite precipitation, and the re-occurrence of seasonal gypsum precipitation after the filling period depending on the filling regime applied. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]