Egyptian SWRO plant to use ERI pressure exchangers

Egypt’s largest desalination plant being built at Marsa Matrouh is to be supplied with Pressure Exchanger (PX) energy-recovery devices by Energy Recovery Inc of California.

The 24,000 m³/d plant is being built in the north-west of Egypt, close to the Libyan border, by Desalia SL of Spain for the Egyptian Armed Forces.

Desalia signed the contract with for the supply, installation, commissioning and start-up of the seawater reverse-osmosis plant, which consists of four skids of 6,000 m³/d each.

The contract includes the operation and maintenance of the plant for the first five years and start-up is expected by first semester of 2013.

“The desalination industry experienced a slowdown in the Middle East due to unrest in the region. It is nice to see that a significant project is underway in Egypt, as it might indicate stabilization in the area,” said Tom Rooney, CEO of Energy Recovery Inc. “We are very pleased that the Army selected ERI’s technology for the largest desalination project ever built in Egypt.”