Energy Recovery (NASDAQ: ERII) today announced a collection of contracts totaling over $8 million to supply PX® Pressure Exchanger® energy recovery devices and accessories to desalination facilities in Chile. These contracts are for mining applications and demonstrate the region’s continuing investment in desalination.
Chile is the world’s No. 1 copper producer and the No. 2 producer of lithium. Industrial mines require freshwater for pumping minerals like lithium to the surface and for copper smelting. Combined, these commissioned desalination projects will provide over 350,000 cubic meters of water each day in this resource-rich, yet water-scarce South American nation. The PX is expected to prevent an estimated 140,000 tons of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere each year. The orders are estimated to be fulfilled by Q4 2023.
“Chile continues to be a leader in the Latin American desalination market with mining being one of the key drivers for the region. The country is home to valuable natural resources that the world requires to manufacture and power vital products and technologies, yet the country has faced historic droughts in recent times,” said Rodney Clemente, Energy Recovery Senior Vice President of Water. “A desalination plant serves as a critical component for building a sustainable, drought-proof water supply. As the leading energy recovery device for desalination, the PX is trusted around the world to provide significant cost and emissions savings as well as availability, which is critical in operations like mining.”
The PX can reduce energy consumption in seawater reverse osmosis desalination facilities by as much as 60%. The PX provides the lowest life cycle cost of any energy recovery device available on the market, providing significant savings to plant operators and bringing down the cost of clean water.
