Desalination proposal comparison worksheet
Yenra | Updated September 10, 2026
Article: https://yenra.com/water-desalination/

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Use one worksheet per proposal. Figures below are fictional teaching inputs, not quotations. Compare identical product quality, reliability and delivery boundaries.

Project / date / currency and price year:
Feedwater source / salinity and seasonal quality evidence:
Product specification / delivery point:
Process and pretreatment:
Feed volume / product volume / concentrate volume (m3/day):
Recovery = product / feed x 100:
Example: 1,000 feed x 45% = 450 product; concentrate = 550 m3/day, ignoring other losses.
Concentrate route / approvals / outage arrangement:

Annual delivered product volume Q (m3/year):
Annualized capital plus fixed operating cost F (currency/year):
Electricity E (kWh/m3 product) and included equipment:
Electricity price P (currency/kWh):
Other variable cost V (currency/m3):
Simplified unit cost = F/Q + E*P + V:
Fictional base: 900000/1000000 + 3.5*0.12 + 0.28 = 1.60 dollars/m3.
Fictional lower output: 900000/750000 + 0.42 + 0.28 = 1.90 dollars/m3.
1 m3 = 1,000 liters = about 264.172 US gallons.
Cost per 1,000 US gallons = cost per m3 * 1000/264.172.
Example: 1.60 * 1000/264.172 = about 6.06 dollars.

Financing assumptions / asset lives / excluded costs:
Energy, output and cost sensitivity:
Alternatives with comparable service:
Evidence still needed / owner / next review:

Primary references consulted for the accompanying guide:
https://www.energy.gov/cmei/ito/desalination-basics
https://www.energy.gov/cmei/femp/best-management-practice-14-alternative-water-sources
https://www.usbr.gov/watersmart/title/desalination.html