Claim
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune of Algeria claimed that the country would produce 1.3 billion cubic meters (m³) of potable water per day through desalination of seawater by the end of the next year.
Fact Check
The Claim
President Tebboune confidently stated that Algeria would produce a staggering 1.3 billion m³ of desalinated water daily by the close of the following year.
Reality Check
As of the last update in January 2022, the largest desalination plant globally is the Ras Al-Khair Desalination Plant in Saudi Arabia, with a daily production capacity of approximately 1.036 million m³. The Algerian president’s claim suggests a daily output equivalent to about 1,254 Ras Al-Khair plants.
This production rate seems highly improbable due to the significant infrastructure, environmental considerations, and investments required to achieve such capacity. Desalination plants of this magnitude not only demand extensive capital but also pose environmental challenges, making the claim implausible.
Illustrative Calculation
For a clearer understanding, let’s engage in a hypothetical scenario. If we consider the Mediterranean Sea’s volume, estimated at (3.75 \times 10^{15}) cubic meters, and Algeria were to desalinate water at the claimed rate of (1.3 \times 10^{9}) cubic meters daily, it would take approximately (2.88 \times 10^{6}) days or about 7,890 years to desalinate the entire Mediterranean Sea.
Conclusion
While desalination is a crucial technology for addressing water scarcity, the claim of producing 1.3 billion m³ of desalinated water per day is highly unlikely and appears to be a significant overstatement. Such a scenario is practically impossible with the current technology, infrastructure, and considering the environmental and economic challenges associated with large-scale desalination.
It’s vital for the public to approach such claims critically and rely on verified and reliable sources for accurate information.
Rating
🚫 False: The claim is not consistent with the capacities and limitations of current desalination technologies and infrastructures globally and in Algeria.