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Harnessing the Sea to Quench Thirst, Turning Water into Gold: Building a Seawater Desalination Industrial Ecosystem Based on Technological Breakthroughs

Source：Haibao News 09-09-2026 10:00:00

Leveraging its abundant marine resources, Shandong is vigorously promoting the development of the seawater desalination and comprehensive utilization industry, addressing water shortages through technological innovation and unlocking the value of seawater, a "liquid treasure trove." In Xiaying Town, Changyi, Shandong's first pilot project to improve saline-alkali soil through seawater desalination has been launched. By using desalinated water to wash away salt and neutralize alkali, and utilizing the concentrated brine for aquaculture, the project has transformed saline-alkali wastelands into fertile farmland.

The Shandong Institute of Seawater Desalination and Comprehensive Utilization, in collaboration with enterprises, has tackled key R&D challenges in core equipment and successfully developed a domestically manufactured high-pressure pump for seawater desalination, breaking the foreign technological monopoly. The local area has implemented a "multipurpose use of seawater" model, in which seawater is used sequentially for power generation cooling, desalination, bromine extraction, and salt production, thereby achieving zero discharge of brine. Currently, the province's seawater desalination capacity stands at 964,000 tons per day, accounting for nearly one-third of China's total.

Next, Shandong will establish proof-of-concept and pilot-scale testing platforms, improve the industrial innovation ecosystem, promote the commercialization of scientific research achievements, continue to foster new quality productive forces in the marine sector, and support the development of Shandong as a leading marine province.