Norwegian desalination company Aqualyng on 15 March 2010 began the construction phase of the 50,000 m³/d seawater reverse-osmosis plant to serve the water needs of the Caofeidian Industrial Zone 220km east of Beijing in China.
With its joint-venture partner, Tangshan Caofeidian Infrastructure Construction Investment Co Ltd (IIC), Aqualying has appointed Hangzhou Development Center of Water Treatment Technology Co Ltd (HZWT), a leading Chinese water treatment contractor, as EPC contractor for the project. Construction is being carried out on the build, own, operate and transfer contract by HZWT and is expected to be completed during September 2011.
This is the first phase of an expected total of up to 300,000 m³/d over the coming years. Aqualyng will operate the plant during the 30-year term of the agreement as part of a joint venture with IIC. The Norwegians will be supplying their patented proprietary energy-recovery device, the Recuperator, to the plant.
The total investment for the project is approximately US$ 65 million.
“This project is a breakthrough for Aqualyng,” says Brynjulf Lomsdalen, CEO of Aqualyng Holding AS. “The Chinese market for desalination, one of the fastest growing in the world, has proven difficult for foreign companies to enter. It is a source of pride that Aqualyng has been able to develop this project based on a contractual framework that we believe can serve as a model for future projects in China.”