State-of-the-Art Desalination Plant Opens in Spain Using GE Technology
TREVOSE, Pa.---May 19, 2009---Spain, one of the most arid European countries, has a long-standing water supply strategy to desalinate and use brackish river water. That effort has just taken a giant step forward as GE and Aigües Ter-Llobregat (ATLL) have announced the opening of one of the world's largest and most technologically advanced river water desalination plants, near Barcelona.
The plant employs advanced electrodialysis reversal (EDR) technology from GE to tap the Llobregat River and to ensure a clean, reliable water supply for Barcelona and the surrounding Catalonia region.
The EDR plant, operated by water utility Aigües Ter-Llobregat in Abrera, treats 220,000 cubic meters/day of water (58 million gallons/day). It runs in conjunction with ATLL's existing water treatment plant which uses conventional treatment technology. The EDR plant's output is blended with the output of the conventional plant to produce a combined stream that is adequate for the region's needs, meets all water quality standards and is cost-effective.
EDR technology from GE Water employs an electrochemical separation process to remove salts and organic matter found in many source waters such as the Llobregat River, along with potentially harmful chlorination byproducts. EDR provides an exceptionally high water recovery rate of 90 percent, and maintains consistent water quality despite the source river's changing temperature and salinity. The EDR system also resists fouling, which can decrease its performance and service life.
"GE applauds ATLL for using the GE EDR system and for opening one of the largest brackish water desalination treatment systems in the world. The high water recovery nature of this design is critical to the prudent use of scarce fresh water in Catalonia, and the durable nature of GE's EDR technology was instrumental in its selection, as it did not require any additional pretreatment," said Bill Harvey, GE Water's commercial leader for the EDR platform.
About GE Energy
GE Energy (www.ge.com/energy) is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies, with 2008 revenue of $29.3 billion. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Energy works in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; and other alternative fuels. Numerous GE Energy products are certified under ecomagination, GE's corporate-wide initiative to aggressively bring to market new technologies that will help customers meet pressing environmental challenges.
About GE
GE is a diversified global infrastructure, finance and media company that is built to meet essential world needs. From energy, water, transportation and health to access to money and information, GE serves customers in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.ge.com. GE is Imagination at Work.
Howard Masto
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Ken Darling
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