Dow Reverse Osmosis Technology Provides Safer Drinking Water By Treating Seawater In Oman's Largest Seawater Desalination Plant

Advanced treatment technology helps alleviate Oman’s water scarcity with seawater desalination

Dow Water & Process Solutions, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, was selected by SUEZ, a reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plant design, construction and operations leader since 1969, to supply its advanced RO elements to desalinate seawater at the Barka Desalination Plant – Phase 4 (Barka IWP), located in Barka in the South Batinah governorate of Oman. Located in the Middle East, one of the driest regions in the world, the new desalination plant has a capacity to deliver 281 million liters of safer drinking water per day, helping alleviate water scarcity in the area and positively contributing to the security of water supply in the country. The Barka IWP Plant will become the largest seawater desalination plant in the Sultanate of Oman and will also be in the Top 10 Largest Seawater RO Desalination Plants Worldwide.

A consortium formed by SUEZ, Engie, ITOCHU Corporation, and WJ Towell & Co LLC is in charge of the design, construction, ownership, operation and maintenance of the Barka IV Desalination Plant under a Build Own Operate (BOO) basis. The project is structured as an independent water project (IWP) with Oman Power and Water Procurement Co. (OPWP) purchasing the potable water produced by the project under a water purchase agreement with a term of 20 years.

SUEZ is leading the design, construction and operation of the Barka IWP Plant that is scheduled to begin commercial operation in April 2018. The Barka IWP Plant will use more than 22,000 DOW FILMTEC RO elements.

“SUEZ is very proud that its consortium was chosen to design, build and operate the Barka IWP desalination plant. The advanced reverse osmosis elements supplied by Dow will contribute in a significant manner to the performance of the plant to ensure sustainable access to water in one of the driest regions in the world,” said Marie-Ange Debon, senior executive vice president in charge of the International Division of SUEZ.

A key innovation in the RO system is the use of the innovative DOW FILMTEC SEAMAXX Seawater RO elements. The system design, using nearly 9,000 SEAMAXX elements, was selected by SUEZ as the most efficient solution to minimize the total water cost for the project. The SEAMAXX elements were launched in the market in 2014 and it features, since then, the highest water permeability available in the seawater RO product market.

“Reverse osmosis is the most widely used desalination technology and energy consumption is a key factor in the operating costs of such systems,” says Alexander Lane, commercial director for Europe, Middle East, Africa and India with Dow Water & Process Solutions, “DOW FILMTEC SEAMAXX RO elements provide advanced seawater desalination RO technology and are designed for the lowest energy consumption available from seawater RO elements. The technology helps facilities minimize operating costs, reduce capital costs and maximize efficiency. We look forward to collaborating with SUEZ and integrating this technology in the Barka IWP Plant to help increase the potable water supply in Oman.”

About SUEZ
SUEZ is at the dawn of the resource revolution. In a world facing high demographic growth, runaway urbanisation and the shortage of natural resources, securing, optimising and renewing resources is essential to our future. SUEZ (Paris: SEV, Brussels: SEVB) supplies drinking water to 92 million people, delivers wastewater treatment services to 65 million, recovers 16 million tons of waste each year and produces 7 TWh of local and renewable energy. With 82,536 employees, SUEZ, which is present on all five continents, is a key player in the sustainable management of resources. SUEZ generated total revenues of €15.3B in 2016.

About Dow Water & Process Solutions
The global leader in sustainable separation and purification technology, Dow Water & Process Solutions is making real progress in the world. We’re helping to make water safer and more accessible, food taste better, pharmaceuticals more effective and industries more efficient and spearheading the development of sustainable technologies that integrate water and energy requirements. Dow Water & Process Solutions offers a broad portfolio of ion exchange resins, reverse osmosis membranes, ultrafiltration membranes, particle filters and electrodeionization products, with strong positions in a number of major application areas, including industrial and municipal water, industrial processes, pharmaceuticals, power, oil and gas, residential water and waste and water reuse. For more information, visit www.dowwaterandprocess.com.

About DowDuPont Specialty Products Division
DowDuPont Specialty Products, a division of DowDuPont, is a global innovation leader with technology-based materials, ingredients and solutions that help transform industries and everyday life. Our employees apply diverse science and expertise to help customers advance their best ideas and deliver essential innovations in key markets including electronics, transportation, building and construction, health and wellness, food and worker safety. DowDuPont intends to separate the Specialty Products division into an independent, publicly traded company. For more information, visit www.dow-dupont.com.