Desalination

With more than 40% of the world’s population lacking direct access to freshwater, desalination is an increasingly important consideration for populations living in coastal areas. To meet the needs of our clients and communities, SUEZ delivers reliable and innovative desalination solutions.

Your challenges

Resource scarcity

In the face of growing demand from population increases, and altered weather patterns from climate change, it’s more important than ever to ensure water security.

Water shortages and droughts are becoming more common as rivers, lakes and aquifers are drying up. Yet, rapid population growth continues to put immense pressure on freshwater availability. Water must be accessible and safe for everyone wherever they live urban environments or remote communities. In times of drought, and flood.

Global population lacks access to freshwater

2.7

billion people

find water scarce for at least one month of the year

energy savings from the use of innovative technologies

Our solutions

Leading the way with reverse-osmosis desalination technology

As recognised leaders in reverse-osmosis desalination technology, SUEZ delivers reliable and innovative desalination solutions which are designed to achieve optimal operational efficiencies, and deliver investment returns.

Committed to R&D activity

As a pioneer of reverse osmosis desalination technology, SUEZ has been designing and developing innovative technologies since 1969. These technologies allow SUEZ to produce drinking water from salt water in an increasingly ecological and sustainable manner whilst optimising processes to reduce operating costs and environmental impacts.

To anticipate future needs, we continue to optimise existing systems and develop new treatment solutions, new diaphragms, or new alternative forms of energy. These technological advances enable SUEZ to optimise both the capital outlay required and ultimately the operating costs. These include:

Tools to simulate the operation of the desalination plant to allow the testing and configuration of automatic control systems to be undertaken in advance enabling faster commissioning
Ranges of standardised components that are immediately operational for faster construction and lower investment costs
Tools that model optimisation options to increase the efficiency of the reverse osmosis facilities. They enable continual improvements to be made to both economic and environmental performance.

Operational efficiency

Through innovative design, in tandem with continuous research and development (R&D), SUEZ strives to optimise assets to maximise operational efficiencies and achieve long-term cost savings. Our work for the Victorian Desalination Project features a compact modular design which reduces pipe work, and eliminates inefficient energy use. To optimise energy efficiency in the Perth Seawater Desalination Plant, we used double pass membranes and innovative technologies including pressure exchanges to deliver energy savings of up to 20%.

Our specialist teams can help you manage all aspects of your desalination project.

Read more

100

Offset of electricity by renewable energy certificates

energy savings from the use of innovative technologies

Environmental design

SUEZ takes environmental impacts into account when designing and engineering water infrastructure.

The Victorian Desalination Project, designed by SUEZ, minimises adverse impacts on the landscape, local communities, cultural heritage and flora and fauna.

Designed for the landscape

While the Victorian Desalination Project has a capacity to produce 450,000 m3 of drinking water per day, the living green roof atop the facility is the largest in the southern hemisphere. Its landscape-wave design helps minimise the visibility of the industrial buildings from the surrounding public areas, and provides a link to the nearby coastal landscape.

Reduced environmental impact

The land-based plant is integrated into its surroundings and preserves the natural environment by creating an ecological space, which ultimately reduces its environmental impact.