Mauritania, Environment, Mining, Saudi Arabia, Brackish Water, Reverse Osmosis, Water Quality, Malta

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Veolia supplies RO desalination to Mauritania mine

A 1,500 m³/d reverse-osmosis (RO) brackish-water desalination plant has been supplied to a mine in Mauritania by Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies South Africa, with a heat-exchanger to cool the water.

Australian mining town to up quality from boreholes close to pit with desalination plant

The Australian arm of water technology firm, Valoriza Agua, has won a design and construct contract to deliver a 16.5 Ml/d water treatment plant to replace an existing facility and provide drinking water for the Western Australian mining town, Newman and the mine. The plant will include brackish water reverse osmosis and an ultraviolet treatment system to treat a mix of flows from drinking water boreholes sited too close to mining activities.

Chilean mine SWRO gets environmental approval

An environmental impact study (EIS) for a 26,000 m³/d desalination plant for a mining operation in northern Chile is reported to have been approved by the regional office of the Ministerio del Medio Ambiente (environment ministry).

RO-based advanced treatment plant for West Virginia mines

A 5 MGD (19,000 m³/d) membrane-based wastewater treatment plant is to be built to serve a number of coal mines in West Virginia, USA, as a result of government action following pollution violations.

Ministry reported to have rejected Chile desalination EIS

The Ministerio del Medio Ambiente (Environment Ministry) in Chile has apparently rejected the environmental impact study (EIS) produced by Suez subsidiary Agbar Chile for an 86,000 m³/d desalination plant in Northern Region III.

Agency approves W Australian desalination plant

Western Australia's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on 13 February 2012 announced conditional approval for Grange Resources Ltd's proposal to construct and operate the Cape Riche Desalination Plant.

Olympic Dam desalination plan approved with conditions

BHP Billiton's proposed 200,000-280,000 m³/d desalination plant in southern Australia's Upper Spencer Gulf will be covered by the 100-plus conditions imposed by national and state government approval of the Olympic Dam uranium mining project announced on 10 October 2011.

Olympic Dam desalination threatens cuttlefish, say researchers

Brine discharge from the proposed Olympic Dam seawater desalination plant in South Australia poses a potential threat to the unique spawning aggregation of the giant Australian cuttlefish, in the upper Spencer Gulf, South Australia, according to two researchers.

Olympic Dam supplementary EIS satisfies opposition leader

South Australia's opposition leader, Isobel Redmond, was quoted on 20 June 2011 in the Australian media as being "satisfied" that the Olympic Dam desalination plant will not cause any damage to the local environment, including the area's giant cuttlefish population.

South Africa to focus on desalination and water reuse

Desalination and the reuse of wastewater from municipalities and mining are strongly emphasised in the 2nd National Water Resources Strategy (NWRS2) for South Africa released at the start of July 2013.

Chile's copper mines will turn to desalination for half their water

Desalination will provide half the water demand of Chile's copper mining industry by 2026, according to findings in a report by the Chilean state copper commission, Cochilco.

Finance agreed for Camarillo regional desalter studies

Two water districts and two - possibly three - cities in southern California have agree to finance studies for a regional brackish-water desalination plant to be located near Camarillo.

Severn-Trent wins Chilean mining desalination contract

US water and wastewater treatment company Severn Trent Services has been awarded a contract to provide a seawater desalination plant that will serve the potable and process water needs of the Minera Esperanza copper and gold mine in Antofagasta, Chile.

UN urges desalination industry to improve on brine

The United Nations has called on the desalination industry to clean up its act on brine as the number of desalination plants worldwide continues to climb.

Opportunities await at IDA World Congress 2017 in Brazil

Latin America, and particularly Brazil, is a big user of desalination and water reuse technology, and there is huge potential for the growth of these technologies in the region, writes Emilio Gabbrielli, president of the International Desalination Association (IDA).

Peruvian mine desalination 'viable' says Southern Copper

The construction of a desalination plant for Southern Copper's US$ 1 billion Tia Maria copper mine, in the Islay province of Arequipa in Peru, is "a viable option", according to the company's executive president Oscar Gonzales, quoted by Reuters on 24 May 2010.

Australia funds water study for coal-seam gas industry

The Australian government is spending up to Aus$ 3.88 million (US$ 3.61 million) on a water feasibility study for the Queensland coal-seam gas industry.

Chilean politicians launch mining desalination bill

A cross-party group of eight deputies in the lower house of the Chilean national congress has submitted a bill to require mining companies using more than 150 L/s of water for extraction purposes to install seawater desalination equipment.

License sought for seawater desalination plant in Chile

White Mountain Titanium Corporation announced on 26 April 2012 that it has applied for an access license to draw seawater for a planned desalination plant in Chile.

Interview: Juan Miguel Pinto, ALADYR president

The new president of ALADYR, the Latin America desalination and water reuse association, sees his organisation as a window onto the region for international companies. His big aim is to step up events during 2018, taking knowledge of desalination and reuse out to the market.

Olympic Dam desalination EIS released by BHP Billiton

The desalination plant in South Australia to feed BHP Billiton's Olympic Dam mining development moved a step closer when the company released the final supplementary environmental impact statement (SEIS) for the project on 13 May 2011.

Water rights row could delay Western Australia desalination plant

A row over water rights in the north-west of Australia could lead to delay in the construction of the West Pilbara Seawater Desalination Plant, despite assurances in February 2011 from Western Australia's (WA) state government that the project was on track.

RO consumes 4% of Malta's electricity, says new group

Reverse-osmosis desalination plants consume almost 4% of Malta's electricity supply, according to a statement from the newly-formed Malta Water Association (MWA) on 22 March 2011. The group, made up of hydrologists, engineers and other water experts, warned that urgent action is needed to protect Malta's water resources, which "are among the scarcest in the world and under severe stress."

South Australian town to get new desalination plant

South Australia's water minister, Ian Hunter, announced on 1 May 2013 that a brackish-water desalination plant to deliver improved water quality to the town of Hawker, in the Flinders Ranges 100km north of Port Augusta, had been approved for construction.

Desalitech closed-circuit technology set for BWRO project

Israel-based Desalitech Ltd announced on 7 April 2011 that it had been awarded a contract to design and build a reverse osmosis (RO) desalination system for Environmental Protection Technologies (EPT), a global company that leads the industrial wastewater treatment market in Israel.

Acciona to build RO plant for Chile mines

Spain's Acciona Agua has been selected by Grupo CAP to design, build, bring into service and operate for 20 years a seawater desalination plant to service mining operations in the Copiapó Valley in Chile's Atacama Region III.

BHP Billiton asked to rethink desalination plant site

The Parliament of South Australia's Environment, Resources & Development Committee has recommended mining company BHP Billiton reconsider its proposed site for a 250,000 m³/d seawater desalination plant at Port Bonython in the upper Spencer Gulf.

IDE lands big Australian mining RO contract

IDE Technologies has been awarded the design and supply contract for a 140,000 m³/d desalination plant for the Sino Iron Project in Western Australia by CITIC Pacific Mining.

Desalination capacity increasing by 50% in 2013 says IDA

Desalination plants with a total capacity of 6 million m³/d are expected to come on line during 2013, a 50% increase on 2012, according to new data from the International Desalination Association and GWI DesalData.

Escondida desalination is first Doosan job in Latin America

Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction announced its first seawater desalination plant project in the Latin American market on 25 August 2013.

S Australia government questions Billiton desalination EIS

Desalination discharge led the list of concerns raised by the South Australia government in its submission on 24 April 2009 to BHP Billiton's environmental impact statement (EIS) related to its proposed expansion of its Olympic Dam mining operations.

H2O Innovation takes Californian reuse contract

A contract to expand the Leo J Vander Lans Advanced Water Treatment Facility in Long Beach, California, has been awarded to Canadian company H2O Innovation Inc.

NWC report boosts Australian brackish desalination

Brackish groundwater desalination can be considered a viable community water supply option in some areas, says a report just announced by Australia's National Water Commission (NWC).

USEPA chief briefs Senate on dangerous contaminants

Perchlorate, chromium-6 and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in drinking water were all discussed by the US Environmental Protection Agency's administrator, Lisa P Jackson, in testimony before the Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works on 2 February 2011.

EIS filed for SWRO desalination plant for Chile fishery

An environmental impact study (EIS) has been filed by Seven Seas Water Chile SpA for the Bahía Caldera Desalination Plant in Chile's Region III.

Saudi's Al-Fadhli gets the go-ahead for nine new desalination plants

Saudi Arabia has an ambitious $530 million programme to build nine new desalination plants on the Red Sea coast within 18 months, the minister of environment, water and agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli has revealed.

EIA submitted for 276,000m³/d RO plant in Chile

An environmental impact assessment (EIA) was filed in early September by Minera Escondida, operated by BHP Billiton, for its project Supplementary Desalinated Water Supply for Minera Escondida in Chile.

Veolia Peru wins operation deal for mine desalination

Veolia Peru, has won a three-year operation and maintenance contract for a 4.1 Ml/d reverse osmosis desalination plant at the Cerro Lindo multi metal mine owned by Lima-quoted exploration and mining firm, Milpo.

Gold miner opts for desalination to supply planned Mexican mine

The gold mining arm of energy firm, Chesapeake, has opted to use desalinated seawater to supply water for its proposed Metates gold and silver mining project in Durango state, Mexico. It has tendered for proposals to build and operate a 55Ml/d desalination facility to supply the mine with fresh water.

EDR researcher wins 2013 Channabasappa Scholarship

The International Desalination Association has awarded its 2013 Channabasappa Scholarship to Leila Karimi, a PhD candidate at the Institute for Energy & the Environment, Chemical Engineering Department, New Mexico State University (NMSU).

Aqualogy starts up copper mine desalination plant in Chile

Aqualogy has inaugurated the operation and maintenance of a US$ 100 million reverse osmosis desalination plant built for the Mantoverde copper mine.

Bechtel contract for Escondida desalination project

BHP Billiton has contracted Bechtel to provide engineering, project management and construction services for the water supply to the Escondida copper mine in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile.

West Australia mine desalination plant review published

A public environmental review (PER) was issued on 26 September 2011 for a 35,000 m³/d seawater desalination plant at Cape Riche in Western Australia, 90 km northeast of Albany.

UK/Saudi initiative targets low-cost carbon neutral desalination using solar dome

NEOM has signed an agreement with UK-based Solar Water Plc to build the first ever "solar dome" desalination plants in NEOM, northwest Saudi Arabia. The pilot project claims it will revolutionise the water desalination process.

Tunisia and Malta to share desalination expertise

Tunisia has signed an agreement with the Mediterranean island of Malta involving sharing of expertise on desalination plants.

Ceramic nanofiltration company gets big investor

ItN Nanovation AG, a start-up company in Saarbrucken, Germany, making nanofiltration ceramic products for the water industry, announced on 9 December 2010 a framework investment agreement with the US investment fund YA Global Master SPV Ltd, part of the Yorkville Group.

State budget cuts delay Carlsbad desalination approval

Cuts to the California state budget prevented officials of the San Diego County Regional Water Quality Control Board preparing recommendations regarding the proposed Carlsbad desalination plant for the board to vote on at a meeting on 11 February 2009.

"We are figuring out how to manage a portfolio of water resources" Jeff Mosher, WE&RF

The new head of research at the Water Environment & Reuse Foundation, US, outlines a vision for research to support integrated water resource management.

Desalination health and environment book to be published in June

A book on the health and environmental impacts of desalination is to be published by CRC Press in collaboration with the World Health Organization on 25 June 2010.

WEF seeking new executive director

The Water Environment Federation (WEF®) in the USA is seeking a new executive director. The announcement was made by recruitment consultants Korn/Ferry on 5 August 2010.

Large EDR river desalination plant opens in Spain

GE Water and Aigües Ter-Llobregat (ATLL) of Spain announced on 19 May 2009 the opening of the 220,000 m³/d electrodialysis reversal (EDR) brackish water desalination plant on the Llobregat river.

IDA to return to Dubai for World Congress 2019

The International Desalination Association (IDA) is to return to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for its World Congress in 2019, building on the earlier success of the IDA World Congress held in the emirate in 2009.

IDA announces nine new Gulf task force members

The importance now being accorded to the environment by the desalination industry was emphasized on 22 April 2010 when the International Desalination Association (IDA) announced the addition of nine distinguished scientists to its Gulf regional task force and an environmental symposium in Bahrain in December 2010.

Final go-ahead for Adelaide desalination plant

Adelaide's 150,000 m³/d desalination plant was given the final go-ahead on 26 February 2009 by the South Australia state government.

Rio Tinto mine mulls building Namibian desalination plant

Rio Tinto's Rossing Uranium mine in Namibia is planning an environmental impact study for its proposed water desalination plant.

Adionics launches liquid-to-liquid desalination system

France-based Adionics has launched a smart desalination solution that is able to remove specific salts to address the growing demand coming from oil and gas, food and beverages as well as mining.

Chilean mining firm strikes desalination deal with water protesters

Chilean copper mining company, Antofagasta, has struck a deal with demonstrators from the town of Salamanca in the Choapa River Valley who had been blocking access to its Los Pelambres mine in Chile, in protest against the mine's consumption of water amid severe water scarcity in the region.

Acciona forecasts Chilean desalination surge on back of revitalized copper mining

Spanish clean energy and water company, Acciona, has forecast a surge in demand for desalination plants in Chile as the country's copper mining industry expands.

Santa Cruz desalination EIR comment deadline in July

The draft environmental impact report (EIR) for the 2.5 MGD (9,500 m³/d) seawater desalination plant for the greater Santa Cruz area in California, USA, which was released on 13 May 2013, will be available for public comment until 15 July 2013.

Namibian mines get mixed messages

Namibian uranium mines have received mixed news on the prospects for an end to their struggle to secure cheaper and secure water supplies through new desalination facilities.

IDA publishes Academy programme for March 2013

Full details of the courses to be presented in the next session of the International Desalination Association (IDA) Academy in March 2013 have been published on the IDA website.

Namibia moves to buy Areva desalination plant

Namibia has moved on its declared intention to offer to buy Areva's 20 million m³/d water desalination plant in the country.

Namibian uranium mine ponders desalination project

Namibian uranium mining firm Rössing Uranium is investigating the economic viability of designing, constructing and operating a new desalination plant to supply its operation in the economically important Erongo Region where water is scarce.

Mining water treatment market to grow 85% by 2019

The global water treatment market for hard-rock mining - iron, copper, gold, nickel - is set to grow 85% to US$ 17 billion by 2019 according to market analyst, Bluefield Research.

Most-read: our top 20 stories of 2018

The year 2018 was dominated by big project tenders in the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia. Water. desalination + reuse rounds up the top stories from our industry.

West Basin demonstrating desalination intake and outfall technologies

One of the first seawater desalination demonstration facilities to employ ocean-protection technology at the source of intake and discharge has begun construction in Southern California, USA.

USEPA to enforce Clean Water Act better

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Lisa P. Jackson announced on 15 October 2009 at a House of Representatives Transportation & Infrastructure Committee hearing that the agency is stepping up its efforts on Clean Water Act enforcement.

Billiton clears finance for 216,000 m³/d Chile desalination

An investment of US$ 1,972 million was approved by mining giant BHP Billiton on 25 July 2013 for its 216,000 m³/d seawater desalination plant in Escondida, Chile.

Spanish water investment to hit € 1.2 billion this year

Desalination and water reuse projects are likely to be among the new water infrastructure projects worth € 700 million due to be tendered by Spain's Ministry for Environment & Rural & Marine Affairs (MARM) in the second half of 2011.

Municipal desalination plant planned for Chile's Copiapó

Construction of a municipal desalination plant will form part of urgent measures to address water shortages in the region around the Chilean city of Copiapó.

BASF water business combined with other sectors

German chemical giant BASF has combined its water business with its oilfield and mining businesses as from 1 April 2013 to increase efficiency and support growth.

Giant Canadian potash project buys Veolia evaporator

Evaporation and crystallization equipment from Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies has been bought by K+S Potash of Canada to constitute the core process for a potash project in Saskatchewan, Canada.

IDE to hold workshop at key UNEP meeting in Kenya

Leading desalination company IDE Technologies will be presenting its Progreen™ reverse-osmosis desalination technology at the 12th Special Session of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC/GMEF) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Kenya on 20-22 February 2012.

IDA releases program details for Morocco conference

The International Desalination Association released details on 19 January 2012 of the Program Highlights of the Desalination and Sustainability conference which will take place on 1-2 March 2012 in Casablanca, Morocco.

Oil sands UF water treatment won by H₂O Innovation

A Can$ 9.4 million (US$ 9.6 million) contract for a membrane-based water treatment package has been awarded to H₂O Innovation Inc by Fort Hills Energy LP for the Fort Hills Oil Sands Project in Alberta, Canada.

SWCC poised to invite bids for mobile desal capacity

Saudi Arabia's Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) is poised to invite bids from mobile desalination providers to augment supplies until its planned large scale projects start producing.

CaribDA to sponsor Chile desalination seminar

The Caribbean Desalination Association (CaribDA) announced on 14 October 2010 that it would be a sponsor of a seminar on Desalination, Innovations & Sustainable Development to be held in Antofagasta, Chile, during 29 November - 1 December 2010.

RO plant commissioned for US military base

A reverse-osmosis (RO) drinking-water plant supplied by ThermoEnergy Corporation to a major US military base at an undisclosed location in the Africa/Middle East region was commissioned in early December 2011.

Mining slump threatens Nambia's desalination

Investments in desalination and electricity generation in Namibia could be in jeopardy following a dramatic slowdown in mining output in 2008, according to a new report published on 5 May 2009 by the International Monetary Fund.

Aquatech supplies evaporator to Madagascar mine

Aquatech International Corporation announced in December 2008 an order from SNC-Lavalin Inc, Canada, for design, manufacture and supply of a Spray-Film evaporator to concentrate a process stream in a Madagascar mining project containing nickel-sulphate.

Contamination security white papers released in USA

New security technologies for detecting and monitoring water supplies could be developed as a result of a contamination warning system (CWS) demonstration pilot project in the USA undertaken by CH2M Hill and the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD).

California city ponders desalination revival

California's city of Morro Bay is poised to apply to the state Coastal Commission to operate continually its currently idle reverse osmosis desalination plant. The city let its operating permit expire in 2000, and the plant - built in 1992 - has not operated since then except for occasional emergency use.

Belville planning board approves reverse osmosis plant

A request by US local water utility, H2GO (Brunswick Regional Water and Sewer), for an amendment to allow for the building of a reverse osmosis brackish water purification plant has been approved unanimously by the planning authority at Belville, North Carolina.

Delayed Tarpon Springs reverse osmosis plant nears completion

Construction of a long-awaited US$ 45 million brackish water reverse-osmosis plant at the US city of Tarpon Springs, Florida is close to completion a few weeks behind schedule.

Planned Texas inland desalination plant will be USA's biggest

San Antonio Water System (SAWS) is constructing what will become the largest inland desalination plant in the USA. The plant will desalinate groundwater from the Wilcox Aquifer in southern Bexar County, Texas.

Fluor to build Dow's RO membrane factory in Saudi Arabia

Fluor Corporation has been awarded a contract by the Dow Chemical Company to build Dow's reverse osmosis (RO) membrane manufacturing facility in Jubail Industrial City II in Saudi Arabia.

SEDA workshop to look at RO operational variances

The Southeast Desalting Association (SEDA) is to hold a Workshop on Brackish and sea water reverse osmosis operational variances in Gibsonton, Florida, at the Tampa Bay Desal II Water Treatment Plant.

June start for Clearwater RO plant in Florida

Construction is due to start in June 2013 on the second reverse-osmosis water treatment plant for City of Clearwater, Florida, following a groundbreaking ceremony on 6 May 2013.

Dublin desalination is one option of ten

Dublin City Council invited views on 21 November 2008 on 10 options for augmenting existing water sources for the Dublin region, including desalination of water from the Irish Sea.

Alamagordo completes first stage of RO project

The City of Alamagordo in New Mexico, USA, announced on 26 March 2013 that it had completed Phase 1 of its Westside Infrastructure Improvements Project, which will eventually include a 6 MGD (22,700 m³/d) desalination plant.

First Degrémont BWRO unit starts up in Saudi Arabia

The first of the 5,000 m³/d modular brackish-water desalination units being supplied to Saudi Arabia's National Water Company (NWC) by Degrémont began producing water on 7 February 2013.

Degrémont wins brackish-water contracts in Riyadh

Suez Environnement subsidiary Degrémont has been awarded two contracts worth EUR 40 million to supply reverse-osmosis (RO) brackish-water desalination plants at 14 sites in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Another TWDB loan for SAWS desalination project

The Texas Water Development Board has given a US$ 50 million loan to the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) towards its first-ever groundwater desalination plant in southern Bexar County.

Desalination featured on redesigned SAWS website

San Antonio Water System (SAWS) has featured its brackish-water reverse-osmosis desalination project as one of the headlines on its newly redesigned website.

Papers invited for 2013 AWWA/AMTA event

With the 2012 AWWA/AMTA Membrane Technology Conference under way this week in Phoenix, Arizona, a call for papers has been issued for next year's event in Texas.

Aquatech wins Mongolian ZLD job

Aquatech has been awarded a contract for a 2,400 m³/d zero liquid discharge (ZLD) plant for a coal-to-chemicals facility in Hailer in Inner Mongolia.

RO desalination plant completed in Lake Worth

A 4.5 MGD (17,000 m³/d) reverse-osmosis drinking-water plant for Lake Worth, Florida, USA, began a month of testing in late July following completion earlier in the month.

Intensive short desalination course from UNESCO-IHE

An intensive short course on Membrane Technology in Drinking & Industrial Water Treatment has been announced by UNESCO-IHE).

Energy Recovery: 'hyper-focused' on water

The former chief financial director of Energy Recovery has now stepped into the top job as chief executive on a permanent basis. He reveals plans to develop new packaged product for the desalination market, and takes a wry line on the industry's lively rumour mill.

Highlights to watch at IDA World Congress 2017

Technical program chair Miguel Angel Sanz introduces his highlights from the line up at IDA World Congress 2017

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