Sites Benchmark using AHP Method for Implementing Solar Powered Thermal Desalination Plants in Morocco

To enhance access to an affordable drinking water source in rural arid areas, emerging solar desalination technologies are extensively investigated mainly solar powered membrane separation techniques. The purpose of this work is to highlight factors promoting the development of thermal water desalination processes including the availability of brackish (BW) aquifers, rainfall, water salinity, hydraulic conductivity, water table depth, and abundant solar irradiance (DNI). This work evolves identification of BW aquifers in arid areas of Morocco, and select ing the most suitable site to build solar thermal desalination plants. To select the best aquifer, hence, the most suitable site; five brackish water (BW) aquifers located in arid regions of Morocco have been identified then compared according to six aforementioned factors using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). This study revealed that Tafilalet and Errachidia aquifers are the most promising regions for such kind of desalination technologies from both aquifers characteristics and DNI point of view.