Aquatech, a specialist in water purification technology for industrial and infrastructure markets, was awarded a contract by the Egyptian Ethylene and Derivatives Company (ETHYDCO) three years ago to provide a landmark water treatment facility that includes the first integrated Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) plant in Egypt. This plant, which is designed to protect Egypt’s only life-giving aquifer, The River Nile, has now been commissioned, and Aquatech’s solution has resulted in the plant achieving ZLD while reducing its fresh water demand by 70%.
The feed to the plant is 1119 cubic meters per hour (m3/hr) – a composite mix of treated effluent and water from the Nile River, which experiences inconsistent water chemistry and unpredictable fluctuations throughout the year. After studying three years of data, Aquatech developed a process design that could operate at seven pre-defined scenarios and adapt to prevailing site conditions.
Aquatech’s innovative solution integrates a combination of technologies and equipment configuration to achieve desired operational flexibility and treated water demands. Components include a microfiltration system and High Efficiency Reverse Osmosis (HEROTM) technology for achieving more than 97% recovery across membrane systems. This is followed by QUA® Fractional Electrodeionization (FEDI®) for high quality demineralized water production, a two-stage thermal system consisting of a brine concentrator and crystallizer to achieve ZLD, and a sludge treatment system. Aquatech’s solution has resulted in the fresh water demand being reduced by 70%, from 2600 m3/hr to 800 m3/hr.