Numerical Modelling of Brine Dispersion and Thermal Pollution From the Chabahar Desalination Plant in the Sea of Oman

ABSTRACT

This study aims to evaluate the environmental impact of brine discharge from the Chabahar desalination plant, assessing compliance with regulatory limits (+10% salinity, +3°C temperature within a 200‐m mixing zone) for various discharge scenarios. A three‐dimensional hydrodynamic model (MIKE 3 FM) was implemented, calibrated with HYCOM and ERA5 data and forced using bathymetry from GEBCO to simulate brine dispersion under multiple scenarios of discharge distance (0–1000 m), angle (0°, 15°, 45° and 75°) and point configuration. The results indicate that for the current plant capacity, a discharge distance of 400 m or more generally satisfies environmental criteria, whereas for a proposed upgrade to 0.5 million m ³ /day, compliance requires a discharge located at least 1000 m from the shore, specifically at a 75° angle to the coastline, to prevent excessive salinity and temperature increases in sensitive marine habitats.