CHILE – Chilean fishermen have taken legal action to halt the Aconcagua Desalination Plant project on the central coast, expressing concerns that the plant's operations might pollute their working waters. The $1 billion water desalination plant near Quintero aims to supply fresh water to mining companies and local residents in the central region. The project is progressing in an area known as a "sacrifice zone," where residents face high pollution levels from decades of unchecked industrial development. Fishermen's unions fear the desalination project could increase sea salinity and harm the already-polluted ecosystem. Aguas Pacífico, owned by Brazilian firm Fondo Patria Investment, oversees the project. (SeafoodSource)
PHILIPPINES – Filinvest Hitachi Omni Waterworks (FLOW), a joint venture between Filinvest Development Corp (FDC) and Hitachi Aqua-Tech Engineering, is proposing to build a seawater desalination plant in Cebu City to address water supply issues. The company, in a meeting with Cebu City mayor Michael Rama, received support for its proposal. FDC Water Utilities Inc, a unit of Filinvest, will operate the water desalination and treatment plants, supplying water to over 300,000 Cebuano households. (ABC CBN News)
SPAIN – Danish company Wavepiston is preparing to deploy its full-scale wave energy and desalination system off the Canary Islands. The energy collectors, recently shipped from Galicia, have been assembled and will be at the core of the first full-scale installation. Earlier this summer, Wavepiston installed a pressure export pipe on the seabed, connected to the Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands, facilitating the transfer of high-pressure water for power conversion and desalination. The rest of the system is prepared for installation, pending favorable weather conditions and the necessary vessel. Wavepiston's wave energy system features energy collectors in the ocean, producing pressurized seawater for power generation and desalination onshore. (Offshore Energy)
Assembly of Wavepiston’s energy collectors. Credit: Wavepiston
U.S.A. – Energy Recovery has secured contracts worth almost $17 million to supply PX Pressure Exchanger energy recovery devices for desalination facilities in the Gulf region. The contracts include a municipal desalination facility that aims to produce over 499,674 m3/d in a region facing severe water scarcity. Anticipated to be completed by Q4 2023, the facilities will cater to both municipal and industrial needs, making a significant positive impact on water resources and affordability, while preventing over 400,000 metric tons of carbon emissions annually. (Yahoo! Finance)
INDIA – Municipal Administration and Water Supply Secretary D. Karthikeyan inspected the progress of the third desalination plant under construction in Nemmeli. The plant, with a capacity to treat 150,000 m3/d, is part of a project valued at $182 million. Construction of various treatment units is nearing completion, and a pipeline is being laid to draw seawater for treatment. Karthikeyan instructed officials to operate the second desalination plant at Nemmeli at its optimum treatment capacity of 110,000 m3/d. (The Hindu)
EGYPT – ACWA Power is considering investing in seawater desalination in Egypt as the country faces water stress. ACWA Power, already investing in renewable energies like solar and wind power in Egypt, recently met with Egyptian authorities to present its desalination solutions. Egypt, like many North African countries, is experiencing water stress and anticipates being classified as a water-poor country by 2025. Desalination is a favored solution by authorities to address water deficits and avoid depleting the Nile due to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam's construction. Egypt has opened the desalination sector to public-private partnerships (PPPs) to encourage private investment. (Afrik21)
CHINA – Dalian Clean Energy Group has chosen Chart Industries to supply hydrogen compression solutions for its hydrogen production project in China. The Dalian seawater hydrogen production project integrates photovoltaic, energy storage, seawater desalination, and hydrogen production, representing China's first hydrogen production project with isolated power system operation. The project will be executed in multiple phases with an initial investment of around $127.7 million. (Yahoo! Finance)
KUWAIT – The Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) has been granted a US patent for a groundbreaking water desalination technology. The invention, developed by the Water Research Center, features an interconnected membrane desalination system that enhances fresh water productivity while significantly reducing return water compared to traditional methods. The pilot unit, tested in the institute's Water Research Center, demonstrated a fresh water production rate of 65% at an operating pressure of 65 atmospheres, exceeding the efficiency of traditional reverse osmosis systems. The technology has potential applications in both seawater and groundwater desalination, promising environmental and energy consumption benefits. (ARAB TIMES)