In a ceremony attended by more than 400 people, which included representatives from the highest level of the Kuwaiti Government, GE Infrastructure’s Water & Process Technologies business helped dedicate the world’s largest membrane based wastewater filtration project and the company’s first major water project in the Middle East. “Water is the lifeblood of industries and communities around the world, and scarcity, increasing demand and rising costs are driving the need to conserve, reuse and identify new supplies of this essential resource,” said George Oliver, president and CEO of GE’s Water & Process Technologies business. “By 2025, nearly 50% of the world’s population will live in water stressed areas according to the World Meteorological Association and many in the Middle East face this reality today.”
The new Sulaibiya wastewater treatment plant, built in a partnership with the Kuwaiti government and Mohammed Abdulmohsin Al-Kharafi & Sons Co., will purify more than one million gallons of wastewater (375, 000 cubic meters/day) each day for use in agricultural and industrial uses.
Currently, countries in the Middle East produce more than one half of the world’s desalinated water and experts predict this to increase in the water stressed region.
“GE has been expanding its portfolio of technologies, such as the recent acquisition of Ionics, to help address water scarcity,” said GE Middle East and Africa President and CEO Nabil Habayeb. “GE fully anticipates more projects like the Sulaibiya plant in the coming years. By combining advanced membrane and filtration technology with expertise from GE’s Energy business and financing programs, GE has eliminated many of the barriers preventing more widespread adoption of desalination.”
The Sulaibiya facility is the world’s largest membrane-based water reclamation facility. Reverse Osmosis (RO) technology, used in the plant, is well proven for desalinating municipal effluent. The salinity of the municipal effluent has an average monthly value of 1,280 mg/l Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), with a maximum value of 3,014 mg/l. RO will be used to desalinate the water to 100 mg/l TDS, as well as provide a second barrier to bacteria and viruses.
Since this is a build, own, operate and maintain contract, the consortium will also be responsible for running the plant once construction is complete. GE will operate the water reclamation facility. The purified water will be used for non-potable uses that are currently competing with the drinking water supply, thus ensuring that the citizens of Kuwait have adequate water.
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