ISRAEL: World's largest reverse osmosis desalination plant unveiled

Record ID: 397211

  • Title: ISRAEL: World's largest reverse osmosis desalination plant unveiled
  • Date: 17th May 2010
  • Summary: EXTERIOR OF PLANT PIPE LEADING TO SEA BRINE WATER RUNNING INTO SEA
  • Embargoed: 1st June 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: Industry,Science / Technology
  • Reuters ID: LVA13G1N27UJ32ZMZ0BVSRQVJB78
  • Story Text: An Israeli consortium has unveiled the world's largest reverse osmosis desalination plant in the coastal city of Hadera, hoping to help alleviate the arid country's water shortage.
    Israel's H2ID, which is jointly owned by IDE Technologies and Shikun & Binui, said its plant will provide about 20 percent of the yearly household consumption in Israel.
    Avshalom Felber, IDE Technologies Chairman and Ceo, says they will supply 127 million cubic metres of desalinated water a year.
    "This plant has the capacity of 127 million cubic metres per annum and it became the largest reverse-osmosis facility," Felber told reporters at the plant.
    Felber added that bigger desalination plants can be found in Saudi Arabia, which use a thermal-based technology to desalinate sea water. IDE's reverse osmosis technology requires less energy and is friendlier to the environment, he said.
    H2ID said the plant will supply water at the cost of $0.57 per cubic metre and will demand 450 gigawatts of electricity each year.
    "We are very proud of this plant that offers to the people of Israel the lowest water price available today from desalination in Israel and world-wide and to be a part of the solution of the water problem and water shortage in Israel," Felber said.
    Amit Segev, deputy chairman of Shikun & Binui said the Hadera facility was the first to be funded almost entirely from foreign funds.
    "We went to the world's financial markets to raise almost 1.6 billion shekels ($425 million) in order to finance, needed to finance this facility, after a few months we were able to secure the financial package from a consortium led by three European, major European banks," Segal said.
    The plant took some three years to build and lives up to international water standards, H2ID said.
    The water is drawn from the Mediterranean Sea some 1.25 km (0.7 miles) off the coast, and with gravity's help flows to the plant. It passes through several filters and then through membranes at high pressure, separating the salt from the water and into a final treatment. The entire process takes 35 minutes.
    The leftover brine, which is twice as salty as the natural sea water, is treated and returned to the Mediterranean with no negative effect to the environment, they say.
    It is the third in a series of five desalination plants being built over the next few years that will eventually supply Israel with about 750 million cubic metres annually as traditional water sources dwindle with a rising population and low winter rainfalls.
    Israel's main sources of natural fresh water are underground aquifers and the Sea of Galilee, which has seen dangerously low levels due to increasing demand.
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