The Desal Prize: Request for Information (RFI) Document

Transcription

1 The Desal Prize: Request for Information (RFI) Document The RFI is solely for information gathering purposes and is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or concept notes. Any proposals received during the RFI period will not be considered. The RFI is NOT to be construed as a commitment by the government to enter into any agreement or other obligation or to conduct a subsequent Prize Competition. USAID welcomes all segments of the public, industry, academia, and government, including associations, innovators, and enthusiasts to reply to the RFI. Purpose of the Request for Information (RFI): The purpose of this RFI is to solicit the advice, knowledge, and best practices from communities interested in developing small-scale desalination technology that provides potable water for humans, as well as water appropriate for livestock and crops in developing countries. We value the expertise of the desalination community and will use the collective information from the RFI to refine the prize concept that will be formalized in a prize call (via Request for Proposals / Applications) set to launch in May Structure of the RFI: The RFI is a structured open-format conversation among a broad community of participants. We seek information from anyone, but especially experts operating in desalination, agriculture, and international development contexts. The RFI consists of a background section that describes the Desal Prize s origin and objectives followed by a series of discussion topics including desalination technology performance criteria, water requirements for crop irrigation, and international development issues. Participants can contribute original comments to each topic and will have the opportunity to respond to and vote on the public comments provided by other participants. This structure is designed to encourage well-rounded and thorough discussion on each of the topic areas relevant to the prize. Although we encourage responding via the open-forum of the RFI we understand that some users may not wish to participate publically. All users have the option of submitting private responses directly to the platform administrator. These responses will not be visible to the public and will only be used by USAID and its partners for the purposes of further developing this prize. All RFI responses (open forum comments and private submissions) must be received no later than April 14, After April 14, 2014 the RFI comments will no longer be available on the platform.

2 Introduction: The Securing Water for Food Grand Challenge for Development (SWFF) seeks to stimulate innovation in the area of desalination through an open prize competition that directly engages the public, academic, and industry sectors. The SWFF partners are considering launching the Desal Prize to incentivize creation of small-scale brackish water desalination units that can provide potable water for humans, as well as water appropriate for livestock and crops in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South America. Currently available small-scale desalination technologies have performance, scale and cost issues that prohibit effective use in these regions. These issues include water quality and daily volume, energy efficiency, operational cost, environmental impact, and durability. Desal Prize Background: Nearly half the World s population relies on groundwater as the source for drinking water and, in many nations, about 70% of the extracted groundwater is used for agriculture purposes. It has been estimated that, by 2050, we will face a 19% increase in the demand for water for agricultural purposes to feed our growing population. All too often, groundwater is brackish and not suitable for human consumption, livestock watering, or crop irrigation. Furthermore, irrigation with brackish water is not sustainable and ultimately leads to low crop yield and salinization of the soil. The Desal Prize brings together the brackish water desalination community with the common goal of creating a technology that serves a dual purpose to provide water that is safe to drink and water that is appropriate for crops. We hope that you will take this opportunity to participate in the RFI and to help us set a high bar for this technology. The Securing Water for Food Grand Challenge for Development (SWFF) was formed as a collaborative initiative between USAID, the Foreign Ministry of the Netherlands (DGIS), and the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA). SWFF was launched in September of 2013 and has three primary focus areas: 1) Efficient Use and Re-use of Water and Wastewater, 2) Innovative Water Capture and Storage, and 3) Salinity and Saltwater Intrusion. The area of brackish water desalination for potable drinking water supply and small-scale farming use was chosen as a topic primed for innovation through a prize mechanism. USAID has taken a lead role in developing the Desal Prize and has partnered with the US Bureau of Reclamation for technical guidance on desalination technology. Notional Prize Details and Competition Structure: Summary: The Desal Prize structure that is being considered is a 3 stage process: Stage 1: Semi-Finalist Selection (late Summer / early Fall 2014): The prize call is expected to open in mid-may and applicants will have approximately 2 months to submit applications / proposals. A panel of judges will select the top Semi-finalists based on the merit of the proposal / application submitted in response to the prize call. The Semi-finalists will be announced in late Summer / early Fall 2014 and will have 2

3 approximately 7-8 months for prototype development. The Semi-finalists will be required to show proof of prototype functionality approximately 2 months prior to Stage 2 demonstration in late Spring Stage 2: Finalist Selection (late Spring 2015): The first performance demonstration will be at the Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility in New Mexico, operated by the Bureau of Reclamation. 3-5 Finalists will be selected from this demonstration to move forward to the Stage 3 demonstration approximately 3 months later. Stage 3: Winner(s) Selection (late Summer 2015): During Stage 3 Finalists will demonstrate their innovation at a USAID mission region in a developing country, this location will be revealed at the time of the prize call launch in May. The top performing innovation(s) from this demonstration will be awarded the prize. Detailed Explanation: The application / proposal will be assessed based on the overall design and proposed functionality with respect to specific performance criteria that will be outlined in the prize call. Additionally, during Stage 1 competitors will be required to provide an operational diagram of their technology and a detailed description of the operational plan for testing for Stages 2 and 3. Semi-finalists will be provided up to $5,000 to develop their prototype for Stage 2 testing in the late Spring of Approximately 2-3 months before the start of Stage 2 testing each Semi-finalist will be required to submit proof that the prototype is functional. First stage testing will occur in a controlled testing facility to measure optimal performance. The top 3-5 innovators from stage 2 will be selected as Finalists and will receive an additional $5,000 for further optimization of the prototype for the final Stage 3 demonstration in late Summer of Stage 3 testing will occur in a region of Africa, Asia, the Middle East or South America that hosts a USAID mission. This demonstration will add a level of complexity for the competitors due to testing in a developing world environment. The top performing innovation(s) identified from the Stage 3 demonstration will receive prize funds with a value up to $500K, subject to the availability of funds. The prize call will be released in mid-may 2014 and will define the minimum performance criteria as well as the metrics by which innovations will be scored for each stage of competition. The scoring tabulation process will be clearly explained in the prize call. Below is a preliminary list of the performance evaluation criteria we are considering using for selection in the Desal Prize: Draft performance evaluation criteria: 1. Product water quality and daily volume. 2. Powered by renewable energy 3

4 3. Cost 4. Environmental impact and sustainability 5. Durability and reliability Competitors will be provided with complete details of the operational capabilities of each testing facility / location as well as an example of the standard operating procedures for testing in each location. A detailed analysis of the ground water quality for the first testing location will be provided in the prize call. At each testing location the competitors will be allowed a maximum of 24 hours to provide the required water volume and quality. For each innovation tested, the water quality will be determined by independent laboratory analysis of the water (feed, product, and brine concentrate). Draft Evaluation Criteria Rationale: 1. Product water quality and volume: The desalination device must provide water suitable for 3 purposes: human consumption, livestock watering, crop irrigation. The minimum flow rate for the device will be 1.7 gallons per minute. The quality and daily volume requirement for each purpose is defined below: a. Humans: total dissolved solids (TDS) 500 mg/l, sterile; volume = 0.25 m 3 /day b. Livestock: TDS 1,500 mg/l; volume= 0.25 m 3 /day c. Crop irrigation: TDS 400 to 500 mg/l; volume = 8.25 m 3 /day calcium to magnesium ratio > 1 sodium absorption ratio < 3 ph < 8 boron 0.5 mg/l Assumptions and Rules: i. A household farm consisting of 5 adults, 2 dairy cows, and irrigated land of 0.25 hectares ii. The land contains a farm pond or storage structure to support up to approximately 70 m 3 for protective irrigation and other farm water needs iii. For full irrigation, water requirements vary from 3.3 mm to 7.5 mm/day depending on climate, crop type, and length of growing season with an efficient irrigation system at 80% (drip). For the RFI we are assuming a well-managed farm with some supplemental rainfall, and 3.3 mm/day as a feasible water requirement iv. The product water generated for humans must meet implementationcountry standards, or WHO standards in the absence of local standards 4

5 v. To achieve the required water quality for livestock and crops innovations may employ a strategy of blending feed and product water as long as the desired mineral ratios and other criteria are achieved vi. Innovations may not include the use of chemicals in any steps of the desalination process for the water to be used for agriculture purposes; chemicals may be used in the process to produce safe drinking water vii. The system must achieve a product water recovery > 70% 2. Powered by Renewable Energy: The innovations must be powered solely by renewable energy. The competitors will not be limited by the renewable energy source they use. The competitors, however, will be required to bring the entire autonomous unit (desalination device plus power source) to the phase 1 testing competition. Competitors will not be provided with additional energy sources or adaptors. To achieve the water volume and quality requirements of the challenge the innovation must be powered by sufficient energy input. 3. Cost: Because we are seeking a desalination innovation to be used by low-income customers in developing countries, it is important that the technology be cost effective. The balance between capital cost and reduced operating expense due to renewable energy is important in the comparison of technologies. Life Cycle Costing (LCC) normalized to the cost per cubic meter of water delivered over the product s lifetime is being considered as the method for comparing cost effectiveness among different technologies. LCC can be tailored to include a multitude of factors that influence desalination cost such as: capital cost, operating and maintenance, concentrate disposal, and loan costs. 4. Environmental Impact and Sustainability: Sustainable strategies for brine waste minimization and management are needed if these desalination technologies are to be utilized regularly in developing countries. We are interested in processes designed to minimize the amount of brine waste from the desalination system as well as innovative strategies to utilize and manage any resulting brine concentrate stream. 5. Durability and Reliability: The device must be able to be maintained and operated within a developing country context in which labor may not be skilled, specialized tools and replacement parts for repair may not be easily available. Competitors will be judged on how well their proposal addresses issues of user training and maintenance guidelines. The desalination device must be portable and able to be easily transported to different locations. At each of the demonstration competitions the competitors will have to demonstrate that their innovation is easily moved by no more than by 2 people. In addition to providing potable drinking water, the device will also provide water for agriculture purposes and will therefore need to be easily assembled and disassembled for use in the 5

6 field. The device must be able to potentially withstand harsh environmental conditions including dust, mud, hail, sunlight, rain, humidity, and wind. Eligibility to Participate in the RFI: USAID encourages all sectors of the public, in the U.S. and abroad, to participate in the RFI discussion. Information Sought: The goal of the RFI is to receive information from the desalination community regarding different aspects of the proposed prize structure and performance criteria. This information may be used to refine the prize. a. Competition Design Are there aspects of the competition design that should be added, modified, or deleted? Does the 2 stage demonstration aspect of the competition strengthen the ability to select the most appropriate desalination technology for the developing world? Should the prize design include a requirement for a business model and implementation / pilot plan? What would be an interesting way to incorporate this into the prize design structure? b. Competition Awards Are the monetary award levels, structure for disbursing seed money, and proposed competitor effort well aligned? Are the prize funds sufficient to attract a high level of competitor interest? Besides money, what other type of incentive or award could we offer to strengthen competitor interest and participation? c. Product Water Volume and Daily Quantity We have estimated the daily water volume produced (8.75 m 3 ) and flow rate (minimum of 1.7 gallons/minute) based on the anticipated daily water needs of a farming household of 5 adults, 2 dairy cows, and 0.25 hectare land irrigation requirement of 3.3 mm/day. o Is this a reasonable assessment of the daily water needs for a small-holder farm in a developing country? o In developing countries, is it more appropriate to innovate for desalination technology at the small-scale (as defined above by the daily water production) or for community ( > 15 households)? d. Product Water Quality Assuming feed water characteristics provided in Table 1, a requirement of no chemical treatment of the water, and a product recovery rate >70 %, what strategy or type of desalination 6

7 technologies would be appropriate? Is a recovery rate of >70 % achievable? The feed water characteristics in Table 1 display an unusually high sulfate concentration, is it possible to create a robust desalination technology that performs with the same recovery rate on feed water containing high levels of sulfate versus feed water in which the salinity is based on NaCl? Table 1: Groundwater characteristics Water Quality Groundwater Units Parameters values Barium mg/l 0.01 Boron mg/l 0.30 Calcium mg/l 500 Magnesium mg/l 230 Potassium mg/l 3 Sodium mg/l 450 Strontium mg/l 7.6 Alkalinity, Bicarbonate mg/l CaCO3 210 Hardness mg/l CaCO Chloride mg/l 650 Nitrate, as N mg/l 4.00 Sulfate mg/l 2100 SiO2 mg/l 19 Temp Degrees Celsius 20.4 Conductance Micromhos/cm 4500 ph 7.4 Turbidity NTU 2.2 TDS mg/l 4000 Do the TDS ranges and water quality requirements described in the Draft Evaluation Criteria section of the RFI accurately capture the needs for humans, livestock, and crop irrigation water? e. Renewable Energy Can you provide a justification for why the prize performance criteria should not specify that the desalination unit is an autonomous system powered solely by renewable energy? f. Cost If we must consider cost as an element of the judging criteria for the prize, what type of cost estimation calculation should be required in 7

8 the proposal to allow independent evaluation across the different innovations in a transparent manner? Should we require that innovations in this challenge do not exceed a specified capital or operational and maintenance cost threshold? If yes, what is that threshold level and should this be country specific? g. Environmental Impact and Sustainability What would be the consequence (to cost, energy efficiency, system design) of requiring that the prototype provide significantly reduced brine waste or even zero liquid discharge? Is this a reasonable constraint in this prize challenge considering the other performance criteria we have established? h. Durability and Reliability What are the most important durability and maintenance considerations to be made when developing desalination innovations to be used in developing countries? Are these considerations applicable to all developing countries or are they region specific? What are the critical factors for success (defined as market uptake, and continued customer use) to consider when implementing a technologically advanced desalination device in a developing country? i. Other For any of the notional device performance categories, are there assumptions we have made that bear further investigation? Does the desalination technology we are seeking already exist commercially? If yes, please describe this system. Especially when considering environmental aspects, do you anticipate any unforeseen consequences from development of this technology? Are there any essential criteria we have overlooked that should be included in the prize design? Based on the general description of the performance capabilities we are seeking in this innovation, is this technology appropriate for developing countries? 8