Giant Moscow UF plant gets Norit X-Flow membranes

One of the largest ultrafiltration (UF) plants in the world, the South-West Moscow drinking water plant in Russia, is currently being expanded to a total of 275,000 m³/d using Norit X-Flow membranes.

The Netherlands company was been selected by contractor WTE Wassertechnik GmbH, Germany, after testing the membranes. Norit X-Flow says the units provide the highest removal of bacteria and viruses at an advantageous level of operating expenditure.

The project is divided in two phases. During the first phase, which was completed in the first quarter of 2011, two Norit Aquaflex™ units containing 60 Aquaflex membrane modules were installed to validate and optimize running conditions.

The second phase, to be implemented in the upcoming weeks, will consist of installing the remaining 110 Aquaflex units containing another 3,300 membrane modules.

The Norit unit combines a vertical design technology with the advantages of an advanced UF module that requires low energy at maximum performance. This allows the system to be designed with higher flux rates, a reduced footprint and the flexibility to treat a broader range of feed water qualities.