The solution is a complete and highly optimized electrical package that will power the Magtaa desalination plant in Algeria at an unprecedented level of energy efficiency and significantly reduce the length of scheduled plant shutdowns for maintenance.
Located at Oran, Algeria’s second largest city, the reverse osmosis seawater desalination plant will produce up to 500,000 cubic meters of drinking water a day, enough to meet the daily requirements of about five million people.
Upon completition, Magtaa will be the largest seawater desalination plant in the world using reverse osmosis technology - built, owned and operated for a period of 25 years by Asia’s leading technology-driven environmental company, Hyflux.
Electrical power consumption is one of the biggest single running costs of desalination, so making the process more energy efficient directly translates into affordable potable water.
ABB is supplying a complete electrical solution for the entire desalination plant and a 220 kV outdoor substation that will connect the facility to the Algerian power grid and ensure that the plant receives a reliable supply of electricity without impacting grid stability. The solution includes 33 medium voltage drives that will reduce plant electrical losses from the benchmark target of 5 percent to only 3 percent – a huge improvement in energy efficiency compared to accepted industry standards.
In addition the drives will speed up the long plant startup process after maintenance or power-failure related shutdowns, reducing the length of plant downtime compared with the more traditional method of mechanical control.
Over the course of Hyflux’s 25-year operation of the plant these improvements in energy efficiency, plant productivity and reduced wear and tear made possible by the ABB solution will provide a huge and sustained boost to plant profitability.
ABB is a leading supplier of power and automation solutions to the water sector, with a complete capability in integrated and optimized ICE (instrumentation, control and electrical) systems as well as a range of automation products that improve the energy efficiency, productivity and reliability of plant assets.
Did you know?
| Reverse osmosis is a process used to turn seawater into potable water. Seawater is forced, (ie, using a pump) through a fine-pored membrane. Water molecules pass through the membrane while salt and impurities are retained. Exerting pressure to reverse the flow is necessary because in regular osmosis, water molecules naturally flow in the direction of higher concentrations of salt and impurities, rather than away from them. |