Windmill uses wind power for desalination

DELFT, Netherlands, March 1 (UPI) -- Dutch researchers have created a windmill that can be used for seawater desalination without having to worry about electricity.

Delft University of Technology said a traditional windmill drives a high-pressure pump that pushes seawater through a reverse osmosis membrane to produce fresh water, the university said Friday in a release.

While windmill and desalination installations are already commercially available, most produce electricity that is stored and then used to drive the high-pressure pump for the reverse osmosis installation. The Delft prototype is driven directly by wind power.