In China, we make fresh water

Fresh water only makes up 2.5% of all water resources on Earth. For nearly 50 years, SUEZ has been a pioneer in desalination technology. Our expertise has recently been acknowledged in Penglai District, Yantai City, Shandong Province, where our teams have been awarded - the first for an industrial client.

China’s National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Natural Resources have unveiled an action plan to promote the large-scale utilisation of desalination technology. Following on from this initiative, SUEZ has been selected by its Chinese partners¹ to design and build a seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant (see box) in Penglai District, Yantai City, Shandong Province.

Producing 36 million m3 of fresh water per year!

In this project, our team’s end goal is to turn seawater into an additional water source for a chemical industrial complex. The project will contribute to protecting the environment by preserving scarce and precious local freshwater resources, thereby helping Wanhua and its industrial partners to progress in their ecological transition journey. This desalination plant will produce more than 36 million cubic metres of freshwater per year.

In a circular approach, the desalination plant will treat water discharged by the direct cooling system of a neighbouring power plant, where nearby seawater is used as part of the cooling system. As a result of this process, heated seawater will help cut electricity consumption through reverse osmosis, and carbon emissions will therefore be lower than if water had been drawn directly from the sea.

How does reverse osmosis desalination work?

This is a process that separates water from dissolved salts using semi-permeable membranes under pressure (54 to 70 bars to treat seawater). These membranes let water molecules through, but capture particles, dissolved salts and organic molecules measuring more than 10^-7mm.

Contributing to China’s green transition

This contract marks a new milestone in SUEZ’s cooperation with Wanhua Chemical Group. Four major water and wastewater treatment projects had already been awarded between 2017 and 2022. This new collaboration illustrates our shared ambition of building a greener industry in the perspective of more sustainable development. It also demonstrates the commitment of all stakeholders to working together to support the ecological transition of the world’s second largest economic superpower. This is also why this project has earned attention from government. The contract was signed in the presence of high-level officials from China and France during President Macron’s visit to China earlier this year.

The Penglai plant is a new major reference in the desalination domain for SUEZ, and the first project of this type (and on this scale) for an industrial client. “We are keen to turn this collaboration into a new standard of excellence in environmental cooperation between France and China,” declared Sabrina Soussan, Chairwoman and CEO of SUEZ. “We have a long and distinguished track record in desalination, which is a solution for the future that can help secure a stable water supply in regions affected by water stress.”

Elsewhere in the world, SUEZ has already established itself as a major player in the creation of circular solutions for water. The development of the Melbourne reverse osmosis desalination plant in Australia provides a good illustration of this, as it is one of the largest in the world. Also in Australia, SUEZ is behind the construction of Perth seawater desalination plant, which provides over two million people with more than 45 billion litres of drinking water each year.

1) Wanhua Chemical Group (Wanhua) and China Railway Shanghai Engineering Bureau Group (CRSH). Wanhua Chemical Group is one of the world’s 20 largest chemical corporations.

Did you enjoy this article? Discover PLUS Magazine in PDF format