DESALINATION

THE SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE

Committed together to water, a source of life

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 [ The stakes ]

Desalination
by Degrémont

3.9
billion people
affected by hydric
stress by 2030.

The gap between the available water

resource and our municipal and industrial
needs will reach 40% by 2030, and the
number of people living in regions affected
by severe hydric stress is expected to
increase by a billion to 3.9 billion, out of a
global population of 8.1 billion. The most
severely affected countries and regions will
be North Africa, the Middle East, Northern
China, Southern India, Pakistan and certain
parts of the United States and Mexico.

97.5% 60% 100

of the Earth’s water reserves of the world’s biggest million m3/day. This is the
consist of seawater. cities in coastal areas estimated installed desalination
do not have access to capacity to meet municipal and
freshwater. industrial requirements in 2015.
This capacity will have doubled in
the 10 years from 2005 to 2015.
2

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 A prize-winner at
the Global Water
Awards 2013 for its
technical prowess
and environmental

255
integration, the
Victorian Desalination
Plant designed and built
by Degrémont
has become the desalination plants
new benchmark for built worldwide.
the desalination

3
industry
worldwide.

million cubic metres

of desalinated water
produced per day
in 2012.

10
million people
supplied.

A mastered solution for local

authorities and industry
Nearly 50 years “Packaged” equipment and • its solutions to preserve the Earth’s
of experience technologies to increase or diversify flora and fauna in general and marine
Recognised as a pioneer in the pre-treatment or reverse osmosis life in particular, both at water intake
technology of desalination by reverse performances, or for an easy-to-operate and on dispersion of brines.
osmosis since its first plant was modular and compact design.
established on the island of Houat
in France in 1969, Degrémont has Financing for BOT (Build, Operate, Active in R&D
successfully developed and integrated Transfer) makes for a real partnership To adapt to future needs and continue
complementary technologies to make in which Degrémont is fully involved in to optimise existing systems,
this a sustainable solution. every respect, including financing. Degrémont is engaged in research on
the following subjects:
• direct osmosis;
Four complementary Outstanding advantages • membrane distillation;
areas of activity Numerous municipal and industrial • new membranes;
Customised design & build to meet projects have enabled Degrémont to • new membrane engineering;
specific requirements with seawater consolidate its world-leading position in • alternative energy sources;
or brackish water desalination the field, in particular thanks to: • alternative processes for treating
plants – small or large, modular or • its mastery of pre-treatment, reverse boron;
standardised – designed and built osmosis and remineralisation processes; • reducing water loss in pre-treatment;
according to site requirements and • its expertise as builder and operator, • etc.
water types. enabling it to offer local authorities and
industry competitive solutions that are
Operation and services solutions adapted to their particular operating
for daily management, optimisation requirements;
of desalination plants (pre-treatment, • its comprehensive range of modular
energy consumption, washing of and standardised products to optimise
membranes, etc.), and “à la carte” delivery and commissioning times;
solutions such as the supply of spare • its operating support tools to
parts, rehabilitation, employee training, safeguard freshwater production and
etc. continuously optimise operating costs;
• its introduction of effective energy-
recovery systems to reduce energy
consumption;

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 [ Know-how ]

An offer dedicated
to desalination
INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
to optimise processes, reduce operating costs and lessen
environmental impact.

A BROAD RANGE OF PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND TOOLS

to provide relevant technical and economic solutions for the needs
and challenges facing local authorities and industry.

Seadaf TM UltramarineTM SmartrackTM • water intake;

This compact solution for clarification This metallic chassis can accommodate • pre-treatment by SeadafTM rapid
by rapid dissolved air flotation (DAF) of different types of ultrafiltration membrane flotation, and ultrafiltration;
saline water replaces the first filtration modules. The system is standardised and • a reverse osmosis pass;
stage. It is useful for water that may industrialised, reducing the time taken for • a remineralisation phase.
present occasional peaks in suspension implementation and allowing to master This plant is flexible in its design according
matter and algal bloom. the cost of membranes renewal. to local conditions and each client’s
specific requirements.

SeacleanTM SeaproTM
This dual media (anthracite + sand) This Degrémont range of standard reverse Offshore oil & gas
filtration technology is ideal for osmosis desalination plant elements With its expertise in desalination and
desalination plants of all sizes. It improves has been developed based on feedback engineering know-how specific to offshore
the performance of reverse osmosis from its realisations. Its advantages are: oil exploration and production, Degrémont
membranes, increases their lifespan, reduced construction time for a rapid designs and supplies units for desalination
reduces washing equipment and cuts complete build, limitation of technical and sulphate removal to equip FPSO
water loss. and construction risks, and general (Floating, Production, Storing and
optimisation of costs (civil engineering, Offloading) vessels.
construction, equipment, assembly,
etc.). The most recent plant of this type
is the SeaproTM 50K, which produces
50,000 m3/day, comprising:

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 A reverse osmosis membrane
only allows water to pass through and retains
all the solutes, except for a few organic
molecules very similar to water.

OMOBILE / MobilePro Desalination robustness* ControlBuild

These mobile (truck-mounted) desalination This modelling tool, developed jointly This tool simulates the operation of a virtual
units guarantee the quality and quantity with Laborelec and GDF SUEZ, offers three desalination plant, enabling automated
of water required without capital outlay, advantages: systems to be tested and parameterised
anywhere in the world and for all types • identification, by geographic region upstream before being validated at the
of industry. The trucks are rented and worldwide, of six typical seawater plant. It facilitates operational start-up on
are equipped with reverse osmosis or ion compositions and their annual profile; delivery of the plant and reduces the time
exchange units to produce industrial water. • determination, according to profile, needed for the commissioning phase (two
They guarantee the continuity of industrial of the optimal dosages of chemicals to month reduction at the 450,000 m3/day
water production in emergencies as well as most effectively foresee the quality of the Victorian desalination plant, Melbourne-
anticipating purified water requirements pre-treated water, thereby optimising the Australia). The tool can also be used
during planned procedures. robustness of a desalination plant and its during the operational phase to simulate
operating costs; optimisation methods and thus continually
• the choice of the best line of pre-treatment improve performance.
to optimise investment and operating costs.
The tool is based on a statistical method
* The robustness of reverse osmosis plants is defined
using a database containing over 10 years as the capacity to provide an appropriate flow and
of data (from pilot trials and plants). quality of drinking water, in accordance with the
capacities of the plant and the guarantees of the
membrane supplier.

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 [ References ]

Flagship realisations
for local authorities
A PIONEER IN DESALINATION BY REVERSE OSMOSIS, Degrémont has built 255 plants
in all four corners of the world.

Features of this MELBOURNE, Australia AL DUR, Barheïn

BOT contract
One of the biggest reverse osmosis Complete and secure pre-treatment
• 2 undersea tunnels desalination plants in operation With a capacity of 218,000 m3 of drinking water per
with a total length The Victorian desalination plant can produce and day, Al Dur is the biggest desalination plant in the
of 2.7 km;
supply 450,000 m3 (extendable to 600,000 m3) of Persian Gulf. It is part of a broader BOO (Build Own
• 84 km of treated
water pipelines, drinking water to the city of Melbourne per day. Operate) project.
composed of In order to maintain a low clogging index and preserve
7,000 pipes;
Environmentally friendly… the reverse osmosis membranes, the pre-treatment
• 87 km of 220kV
underground cables,
The equipment was selected for its minimal power process has been designed to manage the high
a world record; consumption. Besides the hydroelectric energy concentration of organic matter and significant build-up
• 29 buildings; recovered and used for the reverse osmosis, the of algae in the waters of the Persian Gulf. The key of
• 51 reverse osmosis energy needed for the operation of the plant is the plant’s reliability is its complete and secure pre-
racks; entirely offset by the green electricity produced by treatment process, comprised of two treatment stages:
• 55,000 membranes; two wind farms. The plant has the biggest green roof • flotation by SeadafTM (14 x 66 m2 units);
• 72 pumps for the in Australia and it is surrounded by a 225-hectare • dual media filtration under pressure by 44 x 52 m2
dual media filters;
ecological reserve creating a biosphere for local flora. metallic filters.
• 486 ERI® PX 260
energy-recovery For greater flexibility and to enhance operation
systems; … and a challenge for human resources reliability, the pre-treatment process is divided into
• 37 months: The project was also a challenge in terms of human two lines each receiving 50% of the water intake.
record construction
time;
resources: at peak construction time, 4,200 workers In addition, to reduce the plant’s energy costs, the
• 27 years:
of 20 different nationalities were employed on site racks of the first reverse osmosis pass are equipped
Degrémont’s every day. with Pelton turbines.
operation of the plant.

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 255
desalination
plants built
worldwide.

Local authorities
Industry
Industry and Local authorities

Features BARCELONE, Espagne RIYADH, Arabie Saoudite

Innovative treatment Innovative treatment of brines and an optimal Modular units in containers
of brines by: environmental footprint 33 brackish water desalination plants were installed
• mixing brines with The plant is a key element in the supply of drinking in just five months, at 14 sites, to treat the
water treated by
the Baix Llobregat water to the Barcelona region. It can produce up to 165,000 m3/day supplying drinking water to the
wastewater 200,000 m3 of desalinated water per day, making population of Riyadh and the surrounding area.
treatment plant; it the biggest desalination plant in Europe.
• treating all brines
before dispersing It was built in just two years and provides high-quality
them more than 3 km water.
from pumping at a All the pilot studies and laboratory analyses were both
depth of 50 metres.
profitable for optimising the design and operating
Optimisation of the costs, and minimising the impact of brines on the
plant’s environmental
footprint by:
marine environment.
• recovering energy
from the first reverse
osmosis pass using
a system of 23
PX220 ERI® per rack;
• wind energy;
Five containers
• photovoltaic panels module
installed on the roofs
of all the buildings
and reservoirs. Features
This achieves annual • Modules in • 26 containers Water and Power
CO2 savings of over containers with located at Technologies
850 tonnes. an individual 13 sites, the subsidiary in the
capacity of biggest being United States,
5,000 m3/day; at Salboukh a specialist in
• Each module with a drinking modular units
is composed of water production in containers,
five containers: capacity of was the key to
two for pre- 30,000 m3/day; accomplishing
treatment on • 7 containers this project,
dual media supply the site which responds
filters, two for of Al Buwaib with to the local
treatment by 35,000 m3/day authorities’ aim
reverse osmosis of drinking water. of sustaining
membranes Collaboration strong
and one for final between the demographic
treatment and experts of growth in
supply pumps; Degrémont’s a country
entity in the of scarce
Middle East and freshwater
those from its resources.

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 [ References ]

Flagship realisations
for industry

MINERA ESCONDIDA, Chile FPSO PETROBRAS, Brazil

The reverse osmosis seawater desalination plant Two seawater desalination units and two
at Minera Escondida (Chile’s second biggest copper sulphate removal units are being supplied to
producer/exporter) produces 45,000 m3/day of Keppels FELS, world leader in the design of
process water for its mine in the Antofagasta region offshore platforms and specialist shipbuilder.
at an altitude of 2,800 metres. Desalination enables These systems will be used by Petrobras,
the mine’s production capacity to be increased to a Brazilian company engaged in the research,
meet the sector’s future development and at the extraction, refining, transportation and
same time saves using surface water in this desert sale of oil, which produces an average of
area. Pre-treatment is carried out in various stages 2.6 million barrels of oil equivalent per day.
integrating the SeadafTM rapid flotation process They will equip two FPSO (floating production
which is able to deal with the chronic “red tide” storage and offloading) vessels for the
phenomenon (proliferation of red microalgae). exploration and production of offshore oil
off the Brazilian coast.

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 KONIAMBO NICKEL SAS, CHENGDU, China
New Caledonia
The seawater desalination plant supplies the
Koniambo Nickel SAS complex, an industrial site
near Koné in New Caledonia, set to become one
of the word’s biggest nickel producers. Producing
129 m3/h of drinking water and 53 m3/h of
demineralised process water for boilers and
cooling circuits, this plant is vital for the growth
of Koniambo’s mining activity. The plant is
composed of 30 units, assembled, wired, tested
and fitted with remote entry/exit systems, the
necessary instrumentation and electrical control The oil refining industry in China is facing
cabinets, all totally automated. State-of-the-art major challenges: rapid growth of the market,
technologies for pressure exchangers (ERI) and increasingly limited water resources, and
electrodeionisation are integrated in autonomous increasingly rigorous legislation on discharge.
units which meet oil and gas industry standards. The principal challenge for Petrochina’s Chengdu
Omobile units were ordered to provide the excess refinery was to have a treatment plant for
production needed during commissioning of the wastewater that would enable re-use of the
plant and power station. treated water as industrial process water.
The plant has a complex tertiary treatment
line with total capacity of 67,000 m3/day.
The performance of this treatment has enabled a
reverse osmosis stage to be included on the main
water line. Separately, a specific treatment line
with capacity of 10,300 m3/day, also by reverse
osmosis, is dedicated to the treatment of brines.
The quality of the treated water allows the reuse
of 23,300 m3/day for the plant’s processes, saving
the region’s water resources and ensuring that the
wastewater discharged complies with regulations.

Global Water Awards*…

… recognition from our peers
2007
Desalination plant
2010
Desalination company
2012
Water company
2013
Desalination company
of the year of the year of the year of the year
Perth (Kwinana), Australia Desalination plant of the year (distinction) (distinction)
Desalination plant Barcelone-Llobregat, Spain Desalination plant of the year
Desalination plant of the year
of the year Desalination project Victorian desalination plant,
(highly commended)
(highly commended) of the year Melbourne, Australia
Al Dur, Bahrain
Wadi Zarqa Ma’in, Jordan Victorian desalination plant,
Melbourne, Australia
Energy and Water, plant
of the year
Barka II, Oman

* Organised by the journal Global Water Intelligence, the Global Water Awards recognise excellence in business, projects and technologies, as well as teams
that have made the difference in the water treatment industry worldwide in the past year. They are judged by the water sector experts.

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 [ Commitments ]

A partnership strategy
and a proximity
commitment
TO CONSOLIDATE AND ENHANCE THE ADDED VALUE OF ITS
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES, Degrémont is committed to genuine
partnerships and maintains constant dialogue with clients.

Technological cooperation competitive is not just a question of price. Customised associations

creates value and It also means acting on a whole set of Degrémont is committed to Alliance
differentiation parameters such as timescales, quality and contracts with some of its clients,
With its expertise in desalination and technological differentiation. especially for the joint management of
experience acquired at numerous plants, water and wastewater services, with the
Degrémont teams up with appropriate aim of optimising costs and delivering
equipment manufacturers to develop and environmentally friendly performance.
optimise new treatment solutions, new
reverse osmosis membranes, new energy-
recovery systems and new sources of Constantly listening to clients
alternative energy. Understanding their stakes, anticipating
In addition, by calling on partners to their needs, innovating and controlling
contribute know-how outside its own areas costs… by being always in tune with its
of expertise, Degrémont has extended clients, Degrémont can propose solutions
its scope and competitiveness. Being which match their objectives and address
the challenges that water represents for
them. In this way:
• local authorities can provide the population
with desalinated drinking water of
guaranteed hygienic quality, in accordance
with local health, safety and environmental
standards;
• industry can increase their
competitiveness thanks to reliable process
Programmes with local water and effective purification of their
authorities and industry effluent, while reducing environmental
Degrémont develops partnerships with impact and continuously complying with the
some of its major clients, especially through ever so stringent regulatory standards.
research programmes and in the field of
social and environmental responsibility.
This approach helps Degrémont to
understand the challenges they face.

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 A culture of innovation
and industrial
excellence
DEGRÉMONT CREATES THE BEST TECHNOLOGICAL, COMMERCIAL,
LOGISTICAL, FINANCIAL AND CONTRACTUAL SOLUTIONS to address its
clients’ requirements.

Customers are the source of Dedicated specialist teams • to securing completion of the project by
anticipation and innovation Having desalination experts in design, involving selected partners to contribute
Degrémont’s global reach enables it to build, equipment and operation, added technical or financial value, specific
anticipate and detect early indications of Degrémont is able to draw on the particular know-how and local knowledge.
major changes that will affect everyone with skills of its employees for each project
an interest in desalination. At Degrémont, to create a response that meets the A BOT contract involves Degrémont in
innovating means putting customers and their specific needs of its clients. long-term commitment and service to the
needs at the heart of the process. Degrémont’s The commitment and motivation of its customer, guaranteeing the performance
teams are perfectly positioned to analyse teams enable Degrémont to deliver efficient of the plant in terms of volume and quality
evolving requirements, devise tomorrow’s and reliable desalination plants and units of the treated water.
solutions and adapt to local conditions. This to its customers, within short timescales
approach is conducive to generating original and at an optimal capital and operating
solutions – not only from a technological, but cost, and to guarantee the quality of water
also a financial, contractual and logistical they require whether for consumption,
standpoint – that best respond to global or industry or agriculture.
local needs.

Responsible involvement at all

stages of the project
For example, by signing a BOT contract,
Degrémont is committed:
• over the long term, from design, during
operation and through to transferring the
plant;
• to integrating responsibility for raising the
necessary finance;
• to establishing the legal framework for the
project;

GoodCorporationTM
Degrémont is the first company in the sector to obtain
GoodCorporationTM certification. First obtained in 2009, this
certification was renewed in 2011 and 2012. It is a label certifying
responsible practice based on an audit of an organisation’s
management with regard to its stakeholders (customers,
suppliers, employees, etc.), protection of the environment and its
contribution to the community.

11

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 DEGREMONT
www.degremont.com

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Graphics : Olivier Aubert – Photos: D. Marlan,P. Weymouth, L. Francini, J.-I. Haga, M. Martinez Boulanin – – Réf. M-D-002EN-1310

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