h2 o oct nov issue 09
TRANSCRIPT
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While the publishers have made
every effort to ensure the accuracy of all infor-
mation in this magazine, they will not be held
In the second week of November, Dubai will play host to the
desalination industry’s biggest event – the IDA World Congress
2009, organised by the International Desalination Association
(IDA). The biannual event is being hosted by TechnoPark, the
Science and Technology Park under Economic Zones World
and is being held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime
Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) region is made up of
some of the most rapidly developing economies in the world,
and consequently, this region also has some of the highest water
consumption rates globally per-capita. With negligible natural
water resources at hand, the Gulf region has relied overwhelmingly
on desalination to slake its thirst for water. The region today constitutes the world’s largest
desalination market, accounting for 50% of global desalinated water production. Saudi Arabia
is the world’s largest producer of desalinated water with a capacity of about five million cubic
metres a day followed by the UAE at 2.8 million cubic metres a day. Given the significance that
desalination holds in this region, it is fitting that IDA decided to host the Congress here, and
more specifically, in the UAE.
To commemorate the event, we decided to bring out a special issue on desalination. The issue you
are currently holding in your hands provides a varied (and unique, if I may bravely venture) mix of
news, features and interviews that examine desalination from different technical, economic, market
and social impact standpoints. The chief driver for growth of desalination in the region, as most of
the articles inside testify, is rapid population growth. According to a recent MARKAZ report, for
the GCC as a whole, the population growth rate (CAGR) between 1990 to 2009, was three per cent;
in comparison, the growth rate for India was 1.8% and for China, it was 0.8%. Another common
thread running through the articles seems to be a growing acceptance of desalination by Seawater
Reverse Osmosis (SWRO). Frost & Sullivan analyst Vivek Gautam notes in his piece that 33.1% of
the total contracted capacity during 2005 and 2008 was RO-based, especially in the small capacity
plants segment. Improvements in membrane, pre-treatment and energy recovery technologies have
contributed significantly to SWRO’s resurgence in the region. The SWRO plant at Palm Jumeirah
boasts of the first wide-scale use of Ultra Filtration (UF) pre-treatment technology in the region
and is among the largest of its kind in the world. This issue also features an exclusive interview with
Bill Mickols of Dow Water & Process Solutions, whose scientific contributions to RO desalination
helped advance the limits of water flux and salt rejection to unheard of levels. Richard Stover of
Energy Recovery examines the evolution of reduction of energy consumption in SWRO plants and
leaves us with some interesting conclusions to mull on. We also have a piece on combating the ‘Red
Tide’ from Pall Corporation while MWH spokesperson John Ord’s Q&A is an excellent analysis of
the economics of desalination. On a slightly divergent note, this issue also has an exclusive story on
the largest operating MBR wastewater treatment plant in the Middle East.
I hope you enjoy reading our ‘desal special’ as much as we enjoyed putting it together. Any
feedback is absolutely welcome.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Get the next issue of H2O early!
Did you know that H2O is also available electronically? Get a digitised copy of the magazine before the issue goes for print! As a bonus, the digital version includes such features as a
For more details, please access www.cpi-industry.com/digital
Anoop K Menon
Desalination days
4 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2009
Happenings > THE REGION
AQUATECH has been awarded a contract
to design and supply a Multiple Effect
Distillation (MED) seawater desalination
system for the Abu Qir Thermal Power
Plant. The client, West Delta Electricity
Production Company, and consultant
PGESCo, specified MED technology for
uninterrupted water supply to boilers after
carefully studying all available desalination
technology options.
The desalination facility at Abu
Qir comprises of two Multiple Effect
Distillation with Thermal Vapour
Compression (MED-TVC) units; each
with a capacity of 5,000 m3/day (net)
and will supply 10,000 m3/day of fresh
water to the power station’s boilers and
other users. Aquatech’s MED technology
has been developed and improved over
decades of in-house research and onsite
experience worldwide and will provide an
environmentally friendly solution keeping
in mind a reduced carbon foot print.
Aquatech’s scope includes design,
equipment supply, testing, and
commissioning of two MED units
complete with accessories to produce
distilled water within a challenging
schedule as demanded by the project.
The plant will be located near Alexandria,
will use seawater from the Mediterranean
Sea to produce pure water with less than
five mg/l total dissolved solids, and will
use plant steam to provide energy to
operate the desalination units. The plant is
designed for a performance Gain Output
Ratio (GOR) of 8.5 minimum.
Earlier this year Aquatech was awarded
an industrial wastewater reuse project for a
chemical facility by TCI Sanmar Chemicals
LLC, located at Port Said. The system will
be for the treatment and reuse of various
wastewater streams generated from the
process units.
The reuse system consists of the patented
High Efficiency Reverse Osmosis (HERO)
process which can withstand various
impurities such as oil, grease, and organic
constituents. The system will have a capacity
of 8,500 m3/day and recovers over 90%
of the water suitable for use within the
complex for various processes. Aquatech
has previously demonstrated the advantages
of its HERO technology in projects for the
recycle and reuse of water from effluents
of refineries, power plants, petrochemical
complexes, oil field produced water, and
treated sewage, with recoveries exceeding
94% in some installations.
Aquatech is a global leader in water
purification technology for industrial and
infrastructure markets with a focus on
desalination, water reuse, and zero liquid
discharge. The company is headquartered
in the United States, has offices throughout
North America, and significant presence
worldwide through subsidiaries in
Europe, the Middle East, India, and China.
Recently, Aquatech was awarded a contract
to design, build, and operate a seawater
desalination plant for India’s first ultra
mega power project at Mundra in Coastal
Gujarat. The 4,000 MW coal fired plant is
owned by Coastal Gujarat Power (CGPL),
a Tata Power group company. Aquatech
will provide a pretreatment system that
includes lamella clarifiers followed by two-
stage pressure filtration and a Seawater
Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) system that
consists of four streams of SWRO banks,
followed by two banks of Brackish Water
Reverse Osmosis (BWRO).
Aquatech bags desal project in EgyptAquatech to supply design and supply a thermal desalination system for the Abu Qir Thermal Power Plant
7.5Billion USD. Value of water
and wastewater projects
being executed in Qatar at
presentSource: MARKAZ
300
Billion litres. Annual water
usage of Coca-Cola Com-
pany.Source: IBM’s GIO Report: WATER
1.87Billion USD. Projected
revenues of GCC’s Water
and Wastewater treatment
equipment market in 2013.
Source: Frost & Sullivan
12Number of emergency water
reservoirs being planned for
Muscat governorate.Source: The Oman Observer
6 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2009
At present, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is the largest market for seawater desalination plants. The market has seen spectacular growth in recent years. More significantly the growth has not only happened
in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries that have relied on desalination for a long time, but also countries like Algeria, which has awarded several contracts for large scale desalination plants. There are various factors that have led to this shift from historic trend.
Desal overview
Though the current economic
environment has delayed several
investment decisions, the long term drivers
for the growth of desalination remain
strong in the region. Despite economic
slowdown, GDP of most countries in the
MENA region is expected to increase. The
region is witnessing rapid population
growth. At the same time, GCC countries
are witnessing fast improving living
standards and North African countries
are suffering from chronic water
shortages. These forces are expected to
create a sustained increase in demand
for desalinated water in the region. With
scarce fresh water resources, governments
and planning agencies in the region are
likely to invest in augmenting desalination
capacities to meet soaring water demand.
Market size & forecastFrost & Sullivan’s market analysis indicates
that desalination plants market in MENA
region earned revenues of $3.79 billion in
2008. Of this 18.7%, that is, $710.0 million
is the revenue for small capacity plants
(Capacity less than 40 MLD) market.
Further the region is expected to add
an average desalination capacity of 2.70
million m3/day every year during 2008
and 2013.
In terms of technology, reverse osmosis
is increasing its market share. Of the total
contracted capacity during 2005 and
2008, 33.1% is based on RO. This is more
significant in small capacity plants market.
The revenue forecast for a five year
period from 2009 to 2013 is indicated in
the adjacent graph - Revenue Forecasts
(MENA), 2008-2013.
Competition & success factorsThe market has attracted numerous new
participants in recent years, intensifying
competition, particularly in the small
capacity plant segment. In such a packed
Seawater desalination remains critical to meet water requirements across the Middle East and North Africa By Vivek Gautam
Note: All figures are rounded; the base year is 2008. Source: Frost & Sullivan
Note: All figures are rounded; Source: Frost & Sullivan
Desalination Plant Market: Key Market Highlights (MENA), 2008
Desalination Plant Market: Revenue Forecasts (MENA), 2008-2013
COVER STORY: MARKET HIGHLIGHTS
28 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2009
market, the competitive advantage will rest
with the market participants that can better
manage project risks and the associated costs.
As most of the desalination technologies
are relatively mature, solutions provided
by the suppliers tend to be similar, which
then makes competition a price-based one.
Hence, organisational capabilities such as
value engineering, strategic sourcing of
components and better management of
project risks are becoming increasingly
important for being competitive on the
price front.
With very little fresh water available,
desalination is likely to continue playing
a critical role in overall municipal water
supply in the MENA region countries. The
desalination plant market in MENA region is
expected to earn aggregate revenue of $15.5
billion during 2009 and 2013.
The author is Senior
Research Analyst,
Environmental & Building
Technologies Practice,
South Asia & Middle East,
Frost & Sullivan. He closely
tracks the developments
in the areas of Water &
Wastewater Treatment and
Solid Waste Management.
Email: [email protected]
29OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2009