IDE, technology provider and future operator of the plant, awarded Energy Recovery a contract for its innovative energy recovery device (ERD) technology to the project, which will be the largest desalination plant in the western hemisphere.
"The Carlsbad project has moved the needle for the desalination industry in the U.S.," said Tom Rooney, CEO at Energy Recovery. "We're excited to bring our experience and technologies to help this project and future U.S. desalination plants maximize their energy savings just as we have helped quench demand in regions and countries lacking fresh water like Australia, China and the Middle East North Africa."
As part of the agreement, Energy Recovery will provide 144 of its PX Pressure Exchanger Q300 units to the seawater reverse-osmosis (SWRO) plant, aiding the estimated production output of 189,250 cubic meters of desalinated water per day (equivalent to 50 million gallons per day). The units are expected to ship by the end of the year.
In choosing the PX technology, California's first large-scale desalination plant expects to save an estimated 116 million kWh (kilowatt-hours) of energy per year, the equivalent of $12 million.1
This energy savings will also reduce CO2 emissions by 41,0002 metric tons per year - roughly the annual greenhouse gas emissions from 8,542 passenger vehicles.
In California and across the US, long-standing sources for fresh water are either diminishing because of droughts or becoming unsustainable given population and agricultural growth.
The Carlsbad Desalination Project will provide the region with a locally-controlled, drought-proof supply of high-quality water that meets or exceeds all state and federal drinking water standards.
The Carlsbad plant is expected to come online in 2016, and provide enough drinking water to serve up to 112,000 households.
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