ERI equipment chosen for Melbourne desalination

The AquaSure consortium has chosen PX™ Pressure Exchanger™ energy-recovery technology from Energy Recovery Inc (ERI) for the Victorian Desalination Project, which will supply drinking water to Melbourne, Australia.

The project will be the largest seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant in Australia.

The plant will provide up to 150 million m³ of water per year — around one-third of Melbourne’s annual water supply — with the possibility of future expansion to 200 million m³. ERI anticipates delivery in two phases during the first half of 2010.

Implementing ERI’s devices at the Melbourne project will save more than 49 MW of energy, equalling a saving of Aus$ 35 million (US$ 31.7 million) — and offset an estimated 263,000 t of CO2 annually.