TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As climate change pressures water supplies, Taiwan is exploring how desalination brine can be transformed from regulated wastewater into energy and industrial materials, CNA reported Friday.
Desalination has become a key tool to boost water resilience. However, the concentrated brine it produces is classified as industrial wastewater and must meet standards under the Water Pollution Control Act before discharge.
Taiwan operates about 20 desalination plants. Officials say regulations govern discharge but lack clear standards for recovering brine as a reusable resource.
The Water Resources Agency explained that converting brine from “waste” into “resource” would require the Ministry of Environment to set compliance thresholds and product standards. Risk-based guidelines would also be needed for different uses, from industrial materials to applications involving human contact, it added.
The agency said the Ministry of Economic Affairs could help link technology with industry. As a plant developer, the agency can provide pilot data to support policy-making.
Taiwan has begun testing recovery technologies. Working with National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, the agency has built modular systems and set up a brine resource recovery station at Taiyen’s plant in Miaoli.
Assessments showed four potential uses for brine: paper fillers or soil improvement materials, eco-friendly desulfurization agents, cleaning chemicals, and extraction of valuable metals.
Overseas cases offer reference points. Japan has launched a commercial osmotic power plant using desalination brine, while Singapore and Saudi Arabia are developing magnesium recovery and brine mining projects, demonstrating potential.
