An exergo-economic model is used to assess the performance of a multi-effect desalination plant integrated to a mechanical vapor compressor unit (MED-MVC) with a water production capacity of 1500 m(3)/day. The results show that the second law efficiency (eta(II)) is 2.8%. The MVC and evaporator units are responsible for about 39 and 52% of the total exergy destruction, respectively. The total water price (TWP) is 1.70 $/m(3) when calculated using a simple conventional economic model and 1.63 $/m(3) when calculated using an exergy-based cost model. Increasing the number of effects from 1 to 6 results in a 39% reduction in the specific power consumption (SPC), a 70% increase in eta(II) and a 24% decrease in TWP. A dynamic model is developed to investigate the effect of fluctuations of compressor work ((W-c)over dot) and inlet seawater temperature (T-sw) on the plant behavior and performance. The dynamic model results show that the disturbance in (W-c)over dot has a significant effect on the plant transient behavior and may cause the plant to cease operation while a disturbance in T-sw has only a moderate impact. Increasing T-sw above a certain value of the steady-state condition without proper control on the plant response could lead to evaporator dry out. In term of performance, a reduction in (W-c)over dot causes a decrease in the plant production capacity and SPC, while it increases the plant performance ratio (PR). On the other hand, a reduction in the inlet T-sw causes a reduction in the plant production capacity and PR and an increase in SPC for the same compressor work. Furthermore, a comparison between a MED-MVC system and a MED integrated to a thermal vapor compressor system (MED-TVC) reveals that the latter system is rather sensitive to the reduction in T-sw due to the presence of the condenser unit in the MED-TVC. The response of the MED-MVC system is slower than the MED-TVC which is due to the high thermal capacity of the preheaters for the feed in the MED-MVC. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.