In December 2017, The New Indian Express reported that India's Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) wanted coastal power stations to make their own water. The chosen method was Low Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD), developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) in Chennai. A first 2,000 m³/day unit was earmarked for the 1,050 MW Tuticorin station to supply boiler-grade water. A 1,000 m³/day trial was already running at North Chennai. According to MoES, tendering was about to start.
The report showed how India intended to use waste heat from power stations for desalination, easing the plants' reliance on scarce river water.
Source: The New Indian Express