Will Degrémont’s Fujairah plant change attitudes?
The biggest single risk for a company that designs and builds seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plants in the Gulf is that the technology is seen to be unreliable. RO has worked well in most parts of the world and has a proven track record in markets such as Spain and the US. The problem in the Gulf is that seawater is notoriously difficult to treat and, if not handled correctly, can damage the RO membranes and permanently lower the output of a plant. For a company with the experience and technical know-how of Degrémont, treating complex Gulf waters is a demanding challenge but one that can be overcome. For other, less experienced players, it is not as straightforward. In fact, the biggest current impediment to growth in the Middle East RO market is project failure, according to Degrémont chief executive officer, Thierry Mallet. “The risk is that a mistake made on a project could cause clients to question the long-term reliability of the technology,” he warns. It is for this
