• 440 sq ft FILMTEC™ membranes will help produce 50 billion liters of drinking water annually; Energy efficiency and affordability delivered by FILMTEC™ membrane technology make DW&PS partner of choice to supply 1.5 million residents with potable water
MINNEAPOLIS, MN, Nov. 6, 2009 -- Dow Water & Process Solutions (DW&PS), a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) announces today that the Company's FILMTEC™ reverse osmosis (RO) elements have been selected for the new Southern Seawater Desalination Plant (SSDP) outside Perth, Australia. The SSDP will use SWRO 440-series DOW™ FILMTEC™ elements in a two-pass RO system for seawater and brackish water, producing 50 billion liters of drinking water annually with the capacity to expand to 100 billion liters per year.
SSDP will be the second major seawater desalination plant in Western Australia, a state whose inland reservoirs today contain only one-quarter of the water available thirty years ago. By 2031, Perth expects to need an additional 150 billion liters of water to meet population demands.
"The new Southern Seawater Desalination Plant will utilize 440 square foot DOW™ FILMTEC™ membrane elements," said Kai-Uwe Hoehn, senior account manager for large projects, Dow Water & Process Solutions. "This project is also utilizing a combination of advanced design features -- internally staged design and a permeate split -- to maximize performance of the desalination technologies."
Currently, the Perth Seawater Desalination Plant located off the coast of Cockburn Sound provides 17 percent of Perth's water needs. At the completion of the Southern Seawater Desalination Plant project in late 2011, more than 30 percent of Western Australia's water supply will come from climate independent sources like desalination.
Construction of the plant began in July 2009, and upon completion, an intensive ocean monitoring program will analyze the plant's seawater discharge to ensure the ongoing health of marine environments.
For more information on DOW™ FILMTEC™ RO components, please visit our website http://www.dow.com/liquidseps/prod/sw.htm
About Dow Water & Process Solutions
Dow Water & Process Solutions has a 50-year legacy of providing innovative water and process solutions to both communities and industries alike. A differentiated business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, Dow Water & Process Solutions offers a broad portfolio of ion exchange resins, reverse osmosis membranes, ultrafiltration membranes and electrodeionization products, with strong positions in a number of major application areas, including industrial and municipal water, industrial processes, pharmaceuticals, power, residential water and waste and water reuse. . More information about Dow Water & Process Solutions can be found at www.dowwatersolutions.com.
About Dow
Dow is a diversified chemical company that combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element" to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. The Company delivers a broad range of products and services to customers in approximately 160 countries, connecting chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. In 2008, Dow had annual sales of $57.5 billion and employed approximately 46,000 people worldwide. The Company has 150 manufacturing sites in 35 countries and produces approximately 3,300 products. On April 1, 2009, Dow acquired Rohm and Haas Company, a global specialty materials company with sales of $10 billion in 2008, 98 manufacturing sites in 30 countries and approximately 15,000 employees worldwide. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.
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