IN BRIEF
Hydro powered desalination funded in Australia
Wave energy developer Carnegi Wave Energy has secured a AUS$1.27 million AusIndustry grant from the Clean Technology Innovation Program to support a CETO Seawater Desalination Demonstration Pilot Plant.
The funding will be used for the design and construction of wave energy driven desalination plant.
The CETO desalination pilot will be co-located with Carnegie's Perth Wave Energy Project (PWEP) on Garden Island, integrating reverse osmosis desalination technology with the PWEP infrastructure.
Carnegie's PWEP is due to begin construction shortly with power production due to commence in early 2014.
Construction and commissioning of the desalination pilot will follow power production.
Bandung's water supply system set for reform with Mott MacDonald
Indonesia's National Development Planning Agency has commissioned Mott MacDonald to prepare a water supply master plan to address water shortages in Indonesia's third largest city, Bandung, and its surrounding areas.
The project is due for completion in 2014 and includes a management plan for groundwater upper catchment management areas. The consultancy will also identify reforms needed to strengthen the water supply system.
Bandung lies on the Citarum river basin, which provides 80% of the water consumed in the capital city Jakarta and surrounding areas. It supports a population of about 30 million, contributes 20% of the country's industrial outputs and produces 5% of the country's rice.
Watershed degradation, rapid urbanisation and industrialisation, as well as slow development of surface water sources, have created overdependence on groundwater as a primary source of water.
As a result, the rate of water extraction from local aquifers significantly exceeds recharge rates, with water tables declining at more than 1 metre a year in some areas. This has led to acute water stress and depletion of aquifers in major urban areas such as Bandung.
Membrane market set for continued growth down under
The membrane market in Australia and New Zeland is set to almost double in less than five years, according to new research from Frost & Sullivan (F&S). The findings showed that the market earned revenues of over $147 million in 2011 and estimates this to reach $237.9 million in 2017. The application of membrane technology in Australia is predicted to advance as rising water scarcity and a growing population heighten demand for usable water. Membrane processes will emerge as a favourable solution for water reclamation, driving the market toward maturity. The adoption of membrane processes in New Zealand will mature along similar lines, although more slowly, according to F&S.
Chennai's second SWRO plant open
The second seawater reverse-osmosis (RO) plant to provide drinking water for the city of Chennai was commissioned in February 2013 by the state's chief minister, Selvi J Jayalalithaa. Located 50 km south of Chennai, it will have a capacity of 100,000 m³/d and was constructed by VA Tech Wabag for the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewage Board.
Although the facility is reported to only be currently producing at 50% capacity, this is expeted to increase up to 100% in the coming weeks. It will supply water to residents of the southern suburbs of Chennai in Velachery, Pallipattu, Thiruvanmiyur and the localities along the IT corridor.
Pre-treatment technology will be supplied by Amiad Filtration Systems and Seaguard ultrafiltration from Pentair X-Flow. The RO membranes are from Hydranautics/Nitto Denko and energy recovery features pressure exchangers from Energy Recovery Inc.
Qingdao desalination plant in China starts operation
Abengoa has begun commercial operations at the 1000,000 m3/day desalination plant in the city of Qingdao, the second largest commercial port in northern China in the province of Shandong. Construction of the facility started in 2010 and the operation contract will last for a 25-year period. Forecast revenue during this period is estimated in excess of €750 million from the sale of water and a further €25 million from technical support operations. The project, which required a total investment of €135 million, is the first desalination project carried out using a project finance structure totally financed by local Chinese banks.
