POSCO claims desalination first in Korea

Korean construction company POSCO E&C has completed the construction of what it claims to be the nation’s first commercial seawater desalination plant.

The 30 Ml/d Gwangyang East Revetment Desalination Water Supply Project supply water for POSCO’s steel mill at the port of Gwangyang. The plant, was built under an engineering, procurement, and construction contract to provide about 13% of the Gwangyang mill’s water demand.

Drawing on its experience in Gwangyang, POSCO plans to make an entry into overseas desalination markets including Middle East and Latin America as well as the domestic desalination market.

According to POSCO, the plant deploys a patented method for the direct coupling of ultrafiltration and seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO). POSCO claims its staged SWRO has increased the water recovery rate from 40-45% to 50-55%.