RT Journal Article T1 Hybrid membrane and thermal seawater desalination processes powered by fossil fuels: a comprehensive review, future challenges and prospects A1 Al-Obaidi, Mudhar A1 Alsarayreh, Alanood A. A1 Rashid, Farhan Lafta A1 Sowgath, Md Tanvir A1 Alsadaie, Salih A1 Ruiz-García, Alejandro A1 Khayet Souhaimi, Mohamed A1 Ghaffour, Noreddine A1 Mujtaba, Iqbal M. AB Various hybrid desalination systems have been proposed during the last two decades to improve the produced water quality, energy efficiency, water production rate and sustainability among others, receiving therefore a rapid industrial implementation. Desalination processes are energy intensive and this energy is mostly provided by fossil fuels, especially for large scale commercial plants. No doubt, the use of renewable energy (RE) sources is a way forward to decrease the environmental and related health impact to produce and supply freshwater in remote regions with severe water shortage and an unfavourable or unfeasible connection to the public electrical grid. However, most installed renewable energy desalination plants have small capacities, yet facing several issues for long term operation. Therefore, this study restricts to the use of fossil fuel based energy source for desalination and provides a thorough analysis summarising the design, operation, and performance, technoeconomic and associated challenges of hybrid seawater desalination systems based on several experimental/ real plant and simulation studies reported since 2000. It includes mature membrane-based and thermal-based desalination technologies, namely Reverse Osmosis (RO), multistage flash (MSF), and multi-effect distillation (MED), and a number of emerging hybrid membrane-thermal water desalination technologies. Future opportunities in hybrid systems, including RO/MSF and RO/MED are also highlighted. PB Elsevier SN 0011-9164 YR 2024 FD 2024-08 LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/129637 UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/129637 LA eng NO Al-Obaidi, M., Alsarayreh, A. A., Rashid, F. L., Sowgath, M. T., Alsadaie, S., Ruiz-García, A., ... & Mujtaba, I. M. (2024). Hybrid membrane and thermal seawater desalination processes powered by fossil fuels: A comprehensive review, future challenges and prospects. Desalination, 583, 117694. NO © 2024 The Authors.This research received no external funding. DS Docta Complutense RD 18 mar 2026