MOSCOW, December 27. /TASS/. Russian scientists have developed a technique of making water out of air to ensure uninterrupted water supplies on the Crimean Peninsula, President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Sergeyev said in an interview with TASS.
Crimea has been having problems with water supplies and irrigation of lands since 2014 when Ukraine cut water supplies via the North Crimean Canal. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev earlier set a task for the Crimean authorities and the Academy of Sciences to look into ways of addressing this matter. Sergeyev reported in November that several options of how to resolve the problem had been offered to the government.
"I spoke about the search for water on Mars but we have a more earthly task - to look for water sources for Crimea. There are many various approaches, not in the area of fundamental research but as part on routine applied works," Sergeyev said. "One of the best results that was reached by the Academy of Sciences’ agricultural department is a device for making water by means of atmospheric condensation."
The device is a spiral channel directing blowing wind into a low temperature area. The device can be buried in the earth to achieve a desired temperature. "As the temperature there [below the surface] is lower, condensation will begin. Such a unit will make it possible to produce up to several tonnes of water a day in Crimea. A test unit with a capacity of about one tonne of water is already operating in Crimea," he said, adding that such devices could be interesting for farmers as well.
The North Crimean Canal used to cover about 90% of Crimea’s demands in both drinking water and water for irrigation purposes. Moreover, water shortages were the reason why substances from an acid waste reservoir in northern Crimea were emitted into the atmosphere in late August 2018.