Water. Desalination + reuse
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/513849
PROJECTS | 22 | Desalination & Water Reuse | May-June 2015 A recent major wastewater project for Dow was an upgrade of a large desalination facility supplying petrochemical industry plants in Brazil. The wastewater reuse project at Aquapolo Ambiental is the largest water reuse plant in Latin America and one of the world's largest projects deploying Filmtec Eco elements. The 90 Ml/d plant started operation using Filmtec Eco elements in October 2014 and treats wastewater from St. André, St. Bernardo and St. Caetano. The treated water is piped to a major petrochemical hub in Capuava at Mauá in the eastern part of the São Paulo metropolitan region 17 km away from the wastewater site. This supply reduces the hub's burden on potable water supplies making them available to a local community of some 500,000 people. The plant is 49% owned by Latin America's largest state water and sewerage company, SABESP, with the majority share belonging to conglomerate in engineering, construction, chemicals and petrochemicals, Odebrecht. The plant owners, Pinto explains, were looking for the highest possible water quality while promoting energy savings. "We had very close interaction with the customer. After working with them we recommended Filmtec Eco and since installation we have had very positive responses. They are exceeding their challenging quality specifcations, and they have reduced their energy consumption to a record low." This project has, Dow says, reduced the client's chemical costs, improved rejection, and cut a third off energy demand compared to standard RO elements. A tough nut for cracking says, have opened the way to funding the greater call on capital expenditure that Filmtec Eco brings through a fnancing arrangement Dow has struck with fnancial services company De Lage Landen. Dow offers RO elements on lease, which enables customers to transfer the capital cost of the membranes to operational expenditure. Over the lifetime of the membrane Dow says the reductions in chemical and energy cost brought about by replacing conventional membranes – such as its own BW30 product line – are such that it is able to bring signifcant cost savings to customers. Filmtec Eco elements can help deliver up to 40% better water purifcation compared to standard elements, while using up to 30% less energy, resulting in up to 19% lower operating costs according to Dow. "Based on current sales plans, we expect that in the next ten years, Filmtec Eco technology will result in the production of over 10 billion m 3 of clean water while saving over 2 TWh of energy and over 1.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions," the company says. l Looking down: Dow's elements have helped the 90 Ml/d water reuse facility at Aquapolo to bring its energy demand to an all-time low.