Pumps

A Streamlined Process: Full-Service Energy Recovery and Pumping Solutions at an Advanced Textile Common Effluent Treatment Plant

Case Study around Energy Recovery Devices in Wastewater Treatment

The Pali Common Effluent Treatment Plant in Pali, Rajasthan, India supports 215 factories located in the surrounding Punayata Industrial Area. All the equipment in the plant is supplied by Aldee Water Pvt. Ltd. Advanced reverse osmosis water treatment was adopted to significantly reduce the stream volume being sent to the thermal system, reducing both CAPEX and OPEX of the thermal system. With added nanofiltration processes in place to separate salt, the high purity salt could then be recycled and sold.

To achieve more efficiency and cost savings, Detox Group and Pali CETP partnered with Energy Recovery, Inc. to install a suite of energy recovery devices, including both turbochargers and pressure exchangers, bringing higher uptime and availability to the whole system.

Water Products Catalog

energy recovery devices (ERDs), reducing the energy needs, costs, and emissions associated with reverse osmosis desalination.

Energy Recovery has spent decades perfecting devices that capture and recycle otherwise wasted pressure energy. We have a suite of energy recovery devices (ERDs) that can operate at different pressures, dramatically reducing the energy needs, costs, and emissions associated with reverse osmosis desalination.

Our industry-leading energy recovery solutions include the PX® Pressure Exchanger®, Ultra PX™, and Turbocharger. Combined with our family of pumps, our solutions are trusted around the world by plants of all sizes to meet their specific energy recovery needs.

PowerPlay

Available in multiple configurations, the PowerPlay raises the bar on SWRO plant performance. Constructed with state-of-the-art technology, each component of the PowerPlay is virtually maintenance free and backed with service from a single, trusted source. Download the one-sheet to learn more.

AquaBold Product Demo

Energy Recovery presents our AquaBold high-pressure pump line. Take a tour with Mechanical Engineer, Alex Theodossiou, as he explains the key features and benefits of one of the highest quality pumps on the market today. With the highest efficiencies, little to no maintenance, and casted metal for higher availability, the AquaBold works seamlessley with our PX Pressure Exchanger or Advanced TurboCharger ERDs.

Energy Recovery in China

China has been turning to seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) as a way to ease the severe stress on fresh water resources, and ninety percent of Chinese desalination plants use Energy Recovery’s technology to harness fluid flows and pressure energy. Watch this video to hear experts in the Chinese desalination industry talk about their experience with Energy Recovery over the past ten years.

Chinese version available

能量回收在中国

面对日益严峻的水资源短缺,中国各水利机构与各大全球水处理公司建立了合作伙伴关系,致力于建造 中国现今最大的反渗透海水淡化厂。美国能量回收公司始终为主要的海水淡化厂提供高效领先的能量回收设备,并 在中国拥有90%的市场占有率,每日供水估约50万立方米。

Parched on the Red Sea

Location: Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
Project: Marriot Sharm El-Sheikh Hotel
Product Configuration: AquaBold High Pressure Pump & Advanced TurboCharger
Capacity: 500 m3/day

The Challenge: Parched on the Red Sea

Miles and miles of gorgeous Red Sea coastline draw tourists to Egypt every year. And while most of Egypt’s residents have access to fresh water from the River Nile, transporting it to the farthest reaches of the Egyptian coast is expensive. Tourism is a significant part of Egypt’s economy, and coastal towns are looking to seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination as an option for bringing fresh water to tourist destinations.

Hydro-Solutions, a subsidiary of Express Industrial Co., is a leader in the design, manufacturing and installation of desalination plants. It is also active in the operation and maintenance of these plants. Hydro-Solutions has been supplying potable water for more than seven years to Marriot Sharm El-Sheikh Hotel in Na’ama Bay through a SWRO desalination plant. Based on its experience with low-quality welded sheet pumps that caused continuous noise and leaks, Hydro-Solutions demanded a higher quality replacement.

The Innovation Solution: Energy Recovery’s Aquabold High Pressure Pump

An evaluation of high-quality, high-efficiency pumps with casted components from global suppliers led to an obvious choice: Energy Recovery’s Aquabold 2X3X5. Using the AquaBold eliminated the annoying noise, leaks and vibration issues that Hydro-Solutions faced from its sheet metal pumps. From the casted impellers, diffusers and case, to the process-fluid lubricated internal bearings, the AquaBold has been designed from the ground up for maintenance-free operation specifically for desalination applications. Hydro-Solutions also chose to use one of Energy Recovery’s Advanced TurboCharger products to lower operation costs by recovering excess energy. Installation was easy since the pump, motor and turbocharger arrived already coupled and aligned on one common base.

The Result: Higher Quality, Less Maintenance Required and a Longer Life

The installation of the AquaBold was quick, easy and maintenance-free – adding 15 years of life to the plant. Since commissioning, it has reduced plant noise and eliminated leaks and vibrations. After almost three years of operating with Energy Recovery technologies, routine checkups have shown the AquaBold and Advanced TurboCharger are operating at above-expected efficiency with no measurable wear or need for service.

India’s meticulous water needs

Location: Udipi, Karnataka, India
Project: Udipi Thermal Power Plant
Capacity: 16,200 m³/ day
Energy Savings: 8,750,000 kWh/year* (energy savings estimates based on India’s power cost of $0.1/kWh)

The Challenge:  Indian Power Plant with Meticulous Water Needs

The Udipi 1300 MW Thermal Power Plant is a coal/gas-based power generating station located in Udipi, near Mangalore, Karnataka, India. It produces power by converting water into steam, which is then used to drive turbines. Vast amounts of the highest quality pure water are needed for the steam generation process.

The Innovation Solution:  PowerPlay with Advanced TurboCharger + High Pressure Pump

After weighing the options, contractor Triveni Engineering chose seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination as the most viable option for obtaining the highest quality pure water.  While Triveni Engineering had been offering custom made solutions to the Indian desalination industry for more than a decade, they were seeking the latest advances in energy recovery technology to increase plant efficiency. Triveni selected Energy Recovery’s Advanced TurboCharger™ (AT) due to its reliability and optimal efficiency.  Triveni also chose to configure the plant with Energy Recovery’s AquaSpire™ centrifugal high-pressure pump.  The AquaSpire pump is a single-stage, high-pressure pump ideal for medium-to-large-scale seawater- and brackish-water reverse-osmosis systems.

The AT and the AquaSpire centrifugal pump are designed to complement each other for maximum efficiency and hydraulic flexibility. A flexible solution that simplifies the SWRO system while maintaining its operational reliability, the AT is easy to install and has a compact footprint.  This winning configuration is a turnkey solution that requires minimal installation time, operator training, and plant design. With Udipi’s 16,200 m3/day plant capacity, it was of paramount importance to find the most cost-effective and energy-efficient desalination solution.

The Result: Flexibility with Cost Savings

The plant is configured with four centrifugal high-durability AquaSpire pumps and three AT TurboCharger energy recovery devices working together to give flexibility and cost-energy benefits. A total of three trains have been running since May 2010.  As a result of using our technologies, the plant went to working at 100% full capacity and year after year, saves 8,750,000 kWh of energy—increasing overall profit. More trains will be purchased for the expansion of the plant within the next two years. In fact, the client is so satisfied the setup is being showcased as a demo site for their potential customers.

Egyptian water production at odds with demands to lower power use

Location: Marsa Alam, Egypt

Project: Marsa Alam Water Plant

Product Configuration: PX Pressure Exchanger 300 and VP3471 booster pump

Capacity: 1,500 m3/day

The Challenge: Water Supply Needs at Odds with Regional Demands to Lower Power Use

The shoreline of the Red Sea is a dazzling destination for tourists and locals to experience the beach and enjoy marine activities. In Egypt, the shoreline sprawls from the Suez Canal in the north, down to the southern part of the country bordering Sudan. Though most of Egypt’s population has traditionally lived in the Cairo metro area, migration trends show more and more residents are relocating to the coastlines. Given this migratory development, small coastal towns like Marsa Alam on the Red Sea now have huge demands to supply potable water to a growing population. Until recently, the Red Sea Water and Sanitation Company was operating an outmoded SWRO desalination plant and any increase in production would require a retrofit of the existing plant. In addition to the much needed plant upgrade, the Red Sea Water and Sanitation Company was tasked by regional authorities to simultaneously lower its power consumption.

The Innovation Solution: Retrofit with Energy Recovery’s PX300 and VP3471 booster pump

To solve the plant’s main issue of high power consumption, the upgrade of the old 500 m3/day plant to increase capacity to 1,500 m3/day required a high-efficiency solution. The Red Sea Company implemented two of Energy Recovery’s PX®300 Pressure Exchangers with a booster pump to optimize the plant’s energy usage. Energy Recovery’s Aftermarket Sales and Service and their proven track record of superior customer service, coupled with the maximum availability of the PX Pressure Exchangers, provided a win-win solution for the Red Sea Company.

The Result: Dramatic Energy Savings and Surge in Water Availability

By upgrading the Marsa Alam Water Plant with Energy Recovery’s PX300, the Red Sea Company witnessed immediate reductions in total power consumption at the plant. The plant is now able to run at fully upgraded capacity using only one diesel generator set instead of two: a huge contribution to the overall energy savings. Furthermore, the project return on investment and implementation was exceptional, and the Marsa Alam region now has an abundant supply of fresh drinking water for its residents.

“By retrofitting with Energy Recovery’s PX300, the return on the investment has been remarkable. The Energy Recovery support team served as expert advisers and demonstrated that we could significantly lower power consumption by two-thirds of previous levels – all without affecting water production.”
– Ragb Sobhey
Desalination Sector, Red Sea Water & Sanitation Company

BVI dependent on reliable fresh water for GDP growth

Location: Tortola Island, British Virgin Islands
Project: Biwater Tortola

Product Configuration: PX Pressure Exchanger and AquaBold high pressure pump

Capacity: 10,400 m³/ day

The Challenge: British Virgin island dependent on reliable freshwater for GDP growth

Tortola is the largest British Virgin island in the Lesser Antilles with an approximate population of 24,000 residents. 92% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) comes from tourism where close to one million people visit the island every year. As with many island nations without natural aquifers, Tortola must produce all of its drinking water and demand is constantly high. Historically the island has supplied fresh water to residents and visitors through seawater reverse osmosis desalination, but current facilities in operation are deteriorating and this is having a deleterious effect on the island’s environment and marine life. In order to meet the island’s growing demand for fresh water supply, Biwater was contracted to design a new, environmentally-sound desalination facility to provide high-quality fresh water to the island alongside wastewater treatment facilities.

The Innovation Solution: The PowerPlay for faster time to market with superior energy savings

Biwater selected Energy Recovery’s PowerPlay integrated solution: PX Pressure Exchanger® 220 and the AquaBold high pressure pump. In island nations such as Tortola where power costs are high, Biwater chose the PX energy recovery device because it has the fastest payback than any other ERD in the market and allows the company to focus on delivering the highest quality water at the lowest price to the end user. In summary, by choosing the PX and AquaBold PowerPlay solution, Biwater is able to streamline the complex process of moving the Tortola plant from concept to operation. By combining the PX and the AquaBold, the Biwater Tortola project will enjoy faster deployment, longer life, and greater uptime.

The Result: Highest quality water for island’s biggest industry

The Biwater Tortola plant will be able to supply residents and tourists with highquality, affordable potable water. When operating at full capacity, the Tortola plant will produce 10,400m3 of treated water per day, and with Energy Recovery’s PowerPlay solution, the energy saved will be an estimated 9 million kWh per year – or the equivalent to taking 1,300 cars off the road. In addition to the new desalination facility, Biwater is also providing wastewater treatment facilities that will help better protect marine life in the vicinity. Once the desalination plant is online, the facility will boast the highest efficiencies possible with the Energy Recovery PowerPlay.