Jun 22 2009
ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has won an order worth $28 million from environmental solutions company Hyflux for a turnkey electrical solution to power the world’s largest membrane based reverse osmosis seawater desalination plant.
The Magtaa desalination plant is being constructed in the western Oran region of Algeria. It will have a designed capacity of 500,000 cubic metres per day of drinking water to serve about 5 million people. The project is part of the Algerian government’s effort to provide clean drinking water to its growing population.
As part of the contract, ABB will set up a 220kV outdoor substation to provide power to the facility and also supply products such as power transformers, medium-voltage drives and a range of medium and low-voltage switchgear. ABB will be responsible for the design, engineering, supply, installation and commissioning of the electrical plant system. The project is scheduled for completion by 2011.
“Besides powering the water treatment facility, ABB technologies will help to enhance plant performance by addressing critical operational needs such as minimizing down time and optimizing energy consumption to improve efficiency,” said Franz-Josef Mengede, head of ABB’s global Power Generation business in the Power Systems division.
“Energy and operational efficiencies are critical factors in the way we design, operate and maintain our plants. Hyflux will be working closely with ABB, to optimize the energy usage of our Magtaa facility and to ensure that the plant delivers optimal performance,” said Sam Ong, Deputy CEO and CFO, Hyflux Group.
Hyflux is one of the world’s leading technology-driven environmental companies, with operations and projects in water as well as in renewable resources management. The Singapore-based company will build, own and operate the Magtaa plant.
ABB is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs around 120,000 people.