Testing of DuPont™ B-Free™ technology in Arabic Gulf water at Sharjah Electricity & Water Authority (SEWA) Hamriyah Desalination Plant

Abstract

Increasing water and power demand in the Middle East requires that desalination plants maximize overall efficiency and operate on the lowest production. Despite the extended pretreatment in the Hamriyah plant, the deteriorating quality of seawater over the last years, the heavy marine biological growth and the extended red tide have imposed serious challenges for seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) operation. Sharjah Electricity & Water Authority (SEWA) aims to achieve the best long-term performance and reliability to maximize plant availability throughout the year. DuPont™ B-Free™ creates an instant and sustained biostatic environment for the downstream RO operations and is resilient to upstream upsets. This pretreatment will allow water production to be maintained during all regular variations in seawater quality throughout the seasons and in future. A demo unit was installed and commissioned on-site to demonstrate the reduction in fouling potential achieved thanks to DuPont™ B-Free™ pre-treatment technology. This long-term test has shown significant improvements in SWRO operation and the mitigation of biofouling potential. These results are translated into reduced energy consumption, reduced chemical cleaning, and upgraded system reliability.