Developing Low-Carbon, Low-Energy Water Resource Recycling System in Coastal Industrial Zones

Responding to drought and water shortage issues in the coastal industrial zones overseas, Kobelco Eco-Solutions Co., Toray Industries, Inc., Hitachi Plant Technologies, Ltd., and Yamaguchi University started in March 2009 a project to develop a membrane process for water treatment that reduces the energy required to pump seawater by more than one-half. This new membrane process integrates an advanced sewage treatment process into seawater desalination process.

Sewage water can be pressured through a reverse osmosis (RO) filter that allows only water to pass through while preventing the passage of impurities, such as ions and salts, to produce reclaimed water. This process also produces a concentrated water solution as a by-product. Using this solution in the seawater desalination process, the resulting integrated process can conserve a significant amount of energy, allowing low-carbon and low-cost production.

The organizations plan to test technologies for seawater desalination and treated sewage recycling at the Tokuyama East Sewage Treatment Center--where the equipment for component testing is maintained--in Shunan, Yamaguchi Prefecture. In addition helping countermeasures against drought overseas, the project aims to assist in regional water management planning in the Shunan area.

The project is being carried out as a part of the Global Water Recycle System Association's (LLP) activities. The Association was founded with objectives to establish a framework that combines and leverages Japan's advanced technologies and expertise and to promote water businesses overseas. By applying the results of this project, the Association hopes to accelerate business development overseas.

Japanese Technology to Help Address Global Water Problems (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/029151.html

Posted: 2009/07/09 06:00:15 AM