1. EDITOR’S NOTE
Desalination days Publisher
Dominic De Sousa
Managing Director & Associate Publisher
I
n the second week of November, Dubai will play host to the fred@cpi-industry.com
desalination industry’s biggest event – the IDA World Congress
Editorial Director & Associate Publisher
2009, organised by the International Desalination Association surendar@cpi-industry.com
(IDA). The biannual event is being hosted by TechnoPark, the
Science and Technology Park under Economic Zones World Editor
and is being held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh anoop@cpi-industry.com
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime
Business Development Manager
Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai. vedran@cpi-industry.com
The Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) region is made up of
some of the most rapidly developing economies in the world, Design
and consequently, this region also has some of the highest water rey@cpi-industry.com
consumption rates globally per-capita. With negligible natural
Head of Digital Services
water resources at hand, the Gulf region has relied overwhelmingly
on desalination to slake its thirst for water. The region today constitutes the world’s largest
desalination market, accounting for 50% of global desalinated water production. Saudi Arabia Webmaster
is the world’s largest producer of desalinated water with a capacity of about five million cubic troy@cpidubai.com
metres a day followed by the UAE at 2.8 million cubic metres a day. Given the significance that Database/Subscriptions Manager
desalination holds in this region, it is fitting that IDA decided to host the Congress here, and Purwanti Srirejeki | purwanti@cpi-industry.com
more specifically, in the UAE.
To commemorate the event, we decided to bring out a special issue on desalination. The issue you ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES
Frédéric Paillé: +971 50 7147204
are currently holding in your hands provides a varied (and unique, if I may bravely venture) mix of
fred@cpi-industry.com
news, features and interviews that examine desalination from different technical, economic, market Vedran Dedic:
and social impact standpoints. The chief driver for growth of desalination in the region, as most of +971 50 3756834
the articles inside testify, is rapid population growth. According to a recent MARKAZ report, for vedran@cpi-industry.com
the GCC as a whole, the population growth rate (CAGR) between 1990 to 2009, was three per cent;
Euro Zone and UK
in comparison, the growth rate for India was 1.8% and for China, it was 0.8%. Another common Joseph Quinn, HORSESHOE MEDIA
thread running through the articles seems to be a growing acceptance of desalination by Seawater Tel: +44 (0)20 8687 4139
Reverse Osmosis (SWRO). Frost & Sullivan analyst Vivek Gautam notes in his piece that 33.1% of Fax: +44 (0)20 8687 4130
the total contracted capacity during 2005 and 2008 was RO-based, especially in the small capacity Marshall House, 124 Middleton Road
plants segment. Improvements in membrane, pre-treatment and energy recovery technologies have Morden, Surrey, SM4 6RW, UK
contributed significantly to SWRO’s resurgence in the region. The SWRO plant at Palm Jumeirah North America
boasts of the first wide-scale use of Ultra Filtration (UF) pre-treatment technology in the region Rakesh Saxena, CPI INDUSTRY
and is among the largest of its kind in the world. This issue also features an exclusive interview with North America Branch
Bill Mickols of Dow Water & Process Solutions, whose scientific contributions to RO desalination Tel: +1 905 890 5031
Fax: +1 905 890 5031
helped advance the limits of water flux and salt rejection to unheard of levels. Richard Stover of
GSM: +1 416 841 5050
Energy Recovery examines the evolution of reduction of energy consumption in SWRO plants and rakesh@cpi-industry.com
leaves us with some interesting conclusions to mull on. We also have a piece on combating the ‘Red
Tide’ from Pall Corporation while MWH spokesperson John Ord’s Q&A is an excellent analysis of Published by
the economics of desalination. On a slightly divergent note, this issue also has an exclusive story on
the largest operating MBR wastewater treatment plant in the Middle East.
I hope you enjoy reading our ‘desal special’ as much as we enjoyed putting it together. Any
feedback is absolutely welcome.
Head Office
PO Box 13700
Anoop K Menon Dubai, UAE
Tel: +971 4 3756830
Fax: +971 4 4341906
Get the next issue of Printed by:
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H2O early!
Did you know that H2O is also available electronically? Get a While the publishers have made
digitised copy of the magazine before the issue goes for print! every effort to ensure the accuracy of all infor-
As a bonus, the digital version includes such features as a mation in this magazine, they will not be held
For more details, please access
www.cpi-industry.com/digital
4 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2009

2. Happenings > THE REGION
Aquatech bags desal
project in Egypt
Aquatech to supply design and supply a thermal
desalination system for the Abu Qir Thermal
Power Plant
AQUATECH has been awarded a contract Ratio (GOR) of 8.5 minimum.
to design and supply a Multiple Effect Earlier this year Aquatech was awarded
Distillation (MED) seawater desalination an industrial wastewater reuse project for a
7.5
system for the Abu Qir Thermal Power chemical facility by TCI Sanmar Chemicals
Plant. The client, West Delta Electricity LLC, located at Port Said. The system will
Production Company, and consultant be for the treatment and reuse of various
PGESCo, specified MED technology for wastewater streams generated from the Billion USD. Value of water
uninterrupted water supply to boilers after process units. and wastewater projects
carefully studying all available desalination The reuse system consists of the patented being executed in Qatar at
technology options. High Efficiency Reverse Osmosis (HERO) present
Source: MARKAZ
The desalination facility at Abu process which can withstand various
Qir comprises of two Multiple Effect impurities such as oil, grease, and organic
Distillation with Thermal Vapour
Compression (MED-TVC) units; each
with a capacity of 5,000 m3/day (net)
and will supply 10,000 m3/day of fresh
constituents. The system will have a capacity
of 8,500 m3/day and recovers over 90%
of the water suitable for use within the
complex for various processes. Aquatech
300
Billion litres. Annual water
usage of Coca-Cola Com-
water to the power station’s boilers and has previously demonstrated the advantages pany.
other users. Aquatech’s MED technology of its HERO technology in projects for the Source: IBM’s GIO Report: WATER
has been developed and improved over recycle and reuse of water from effluents
decades of in-house research and onsite of refineries, power plants, petrochemical
experience worldwide and will provide an complexes, oil field produced water, and
environmentally friendly solution keeping treated sewage, with recoveries exceeding
in mind a reduced carbon foot print. 94% in some installations.
Aquatech’s scope includes design, Aquatech is a global leader in water
equipment supply, testing, and purification technology for industrial and
commissioning of two MED units infrastructure markets with a focus on
complete with accessories to produce desalination, water reuse, and zero liquid
distilled water within a challenging discharge. The company is headquartered
schedule as demanded by the project. in the United States, has offices throughout
The plant will be located near Alexandria, North America, and significant presence
will use seawater from the Mediterranean worldwide through subsidiaries in
Sea to produce pure water with less than
five mg/l total dissolved solids, and will
use plant steam to provide energy to
operate the desalination units. The plant is
Europe, the Middle East, India, and China.
Recently, Aquatech was awarded a contract
to design, build, and operate a seawater
desalination plant for India’s first ultra
1.87
Billion USD. Projected
designed for a performance Gain Output mega power project at Mundra in Coastal
revenues of GCC’s Water
and Wastewater treatment
Gujarat. The 4,000 MW coal fired plant is
equipment market in 2013.
owned by Coastal Gujarat Power (CGPL), Source: Frost & Sullivan
a Tata Power group company. Aquatech
12
will provide a pretreatment system that
includes lamella clarifiers followed by two-
stage pressure filtration and a Seawater
Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) system that Number of emergency water
consists of four streams of SWRO banks, reservoirs being planned for
followed by two banks of Brackish Water Muscat governorate.
Source: The Oman Observer
Reverse Osmosis (BWRO).
6 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2009

3. COVER STORY: MARKET HIGHLIGHTS
Desal overview
Seawater desalination remains critical to meet water requirements across the
Middle East and North Africa By Vivek Gautam
A
t present, the Middle East and North Africa Though the current economic
environment has delayed several
(MENA) region is the largest market for investment decisions, the long term drivers
seawater desalination plants. The market has for the growth of desalination remain
seen spectacular growth in recent years. More strong in the region. Despite economic
significantly the growth has not only happened slowdown, GDP of most countries in the
MENA region is expected to increase. The
in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries that have region is witnessing rapid population
relied on desalination for a long time, but also countries like growth. At the same time, GCC countries
Algeria, which has awarded several contracts for large scale are witnessing fast improving living
desalination plants. There are various factors that have led to standards and North African countries
are suffering from chronic water
this shift from historic trend. shortages. These forces are expected to
create a sustained increase in demand
for desalinated water in the region. With
scarce fresh water resources, governments
and planning agencies in the region are
likely to invest in augmenting desalination
capacities to meet soaring water demand.
Market size & forecast
Frost & Sullivan’s market analysis indicates
that desalination plants market in MENA
region earned revenues of $3.79 billion in
Desalination Plant Market: Key Market Highlights (MENA), 2008 2008. Of this 18.7%, that is, $710.0 million
Note: All figures are rounded; Source: Frost & Sullivan
is the revenue for small capacity plants
(Capacity less than 40 MLD) market.
Further the region is expected to add
an average desalination capacity of 2.70
million m3/day every year during 2008
and 2013.
In terms of technology, reverse osmosis
is increasing its market share. Of the total
contracted capacity during 2005 and
2008, 33.1% is based on RO. This is more
significant in small capacity plants market.
The revenue forecast for a five year
period from 2009 to 2013 is indicated in
the adjacent graph - Revenue Forecasts
(MENA), 2008-2013.
Competition & success factors
The market has attracted numerous new
participants in recent years, intensifying
competition, particularly in the small
Desalination Plant Market: Revenue Forecasts (MENA), 2008-2013
Note: All figures are rounded; the base year is 2008. Source: Frost & Sullivan capacity plant segment. In such a packed
28 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2009

4. market, the competitive advantage will rest
with the market participants that can better
manage project risks and the associated costs.
As most of the desalination technologies
are relatively mature, solutions provided
by the suppliers tend to be similar, which
then makes competition a price-based one.
Hence, organisational capabilities such as
value engineering, strategic sourcing of
components and better management of
project risks are becoming increasingly
important for being competitive on the
price front.
With very little fresh water available,
desalination is likely to continue playing
a critical role in overall municipal water
supply in the MENA region countries. The
desalination plant market in MENA region is
expected to earn aggregate revenue of $15.5
billion during 2009 and 2013.
The author is Senior
Research Analyst,
Environmental & Building
Technologies Practice,
South Asia & Middle East,
Frost & Sullivan. He closely
tracks the developments
in the areas of Water &
Wastewater Treatment and
Solid Waste Management.
Email: tanuc@frost.com
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2009 29