Advancements in Reverse Osmosis Membrane Technology

Combined with our expertise in water treatment system design, the high performance of FILMTEC membrane technology allows us to provide high purity water to the residents of Perth in an affordable way,” said Gontzal Lorenzo of Degrémont, a joint venture partner responsible for design and construction at Perth.  The plant was built by a joint venture between Multiplex and Degrémont.

The Perth desalination facility, which is powered by wind, draws seawater from Cockburn Sound. The feedwater is pre-treated and then passed through a two-pass RO system which helps to achieve high-quality desalinated water. After the first-pass, which consists of six SWRO membrane trains, the permeate passes through six second-pass BWRO membrane trains.  The recovery rates of the first and second passes are 45 percent and 90 percent respectively. After post-treatment, the water enters the Integrated Water Supply Scheme (IWSS), Australia’s largest public water supply system, for distribution.

The specific energy consumption (SEC) of the first pass seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) component is 2.6 kWh/m3, which, along with other energy-reducing measures, contributes to a total plant SEC of less than 3.8 kWh/m3.  This includes energy for the drinking water forwarding pumps.

The Perth plant shows that desalination can be an effective and affordable option for producing water in water-stressed regions, as well as in municipalities looking to diversify their water supply sources. Dow is focused on continuous advancements in FILMTEC membrane technology and in manufacturing capabilities to enable more large-scale desalination and water purification projects worldwide.