Energy Recovery (ERI), a developer of energy recovery devices for desalination, has said that it will replace DWEER units at the Red Gate seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant on Grand Cayman Island with its PX Pressure Exchanger (PX) energy recovery devices.
The Red Gate facility originally built by Consolidated Water in 1989 is currently undergoing a retrofit, including an upgrade of desalination technologies.
Energy Recovery said that its PX devices operate without pulsations and water hammer, which have been known to complicate and delay plant startups and damage plant structures, compromise peripheral desalination equipment and/or adversely affect plant safety.
The company further said that the devices were expected to deliver more than 4,900 cubic meters (1.3 million gallons) of potable water per day.
In addition, PX devices have just one moving part made out of ceramic material that rotates with the flow of water. This design requires no scheduled maintenance, making PX devices constantly available and reducing costly system downtime common in other isobaric competing technologies.
Energy Recovery claimed that its PX devices operate at up to 98% efficiency and reduce the energy consumption of SWRO systems by up to 60%.
PX devices also reduce the carbon footprint of desalination, saving more than 900MW of energy and reducing CO2 emissions by more than 4.7 million tons per year worldwide, the company added.
Borja Blanco, senior vice president of Energy Recovery, said: ”SWRO desalination has been an integral part of Grand Cayman’s water supply for years but in order to sustain the process long-term it is important that the cost of producing potable water be kept to a minimum.
”Retrofits like this continue to represent a growth opportunity for Energy Recovery as desalination facilities all over the world continue to recognize the PX as the most reliable, and easiest to operate, isobaric energy recovery device.”