From the Yangtze to the Gobi Desert: Designing and Evaluating a Proposed Pipeline for Combatting Desertification

Abstract

This study proposes and evaluates a transregional water pipeline from the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) to Baotou at the Gobi Desert's southern edge, aiming to combat desertification in northern China which affects up to 400,000,000 people and costs an estimated US$ 188 billion to China’s GDP. Optimal pipeline pathfinding and hydraulic design was conducted for a 2 m diameter pipeline carrying 173 ML/day of water, and booster pumping stations were placed along the route as per head loss requirements. The optimal route was determined to be 1927 km long with 23 booster pumping stations for a power consumption of ~41 MW. Analysis of seasonal precipitation and temperature patterns highlighted concerns about flooding and extreme temperature fluctuations, with central to northern China experiencing temperatures as low as -15 °C in winter and as high as 34 °C in summer. A comprehensive treatment system was designed to ensure resilience against climactic stressors, including large to fine particle filtration, microbial filtration, UV protection, and pH corrosion mitigation strategies. Moreover, by utilizing the hydroelectric and solar energy available along the pipeline route, annual carbon emissions can be reduced by a factor of ten compared to non-renewable energy sources. Tunnelling was considered to minimise energy costs associated with pumping over mountains but was found to be more expensive. The final cost of the Project is estimated to be US$ 20 billion of which US$ 8 billion is the Capital Expenditure and US$ 12 billion is the Operational expenditure.