The first phase of the integrated seawater desalination (300,000 ton/day demonstration) project at Tianjin Nangang Industrial Zone, jointly designed by China Construction Technology Consulting Co., Ltd. and the Institute of Seawater Desalination and Multipurpose Utilisation of the Ministry of Natural Resources, has commenced operations.
The project will supply industrial water to major initiatives, including China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation’s 1.2-million-ton/year ethylene project, Huadian Power International Corporation Limited’s Nangang Thermal Power Project and Tianjin Bohua Chemical Development Co., Ltd.’s relocation and renovation project.
The first phase of the integrated seawater desalination (300,000 ton/day demonstration) project at Tianjin Nangang Industrial Zone has commenced operations. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The project, currently the largest dual-membrane seawater desalination facility in China, will produce 150,000 tons of desalinated water daily, replacing up to 50 million tons of surface water annually.
The project is a key collaborative effort under the Belt and Road Initiative between China and Malaysia. Following its launch, Nangang Industrial Zone will become the first chemical industrial park in China to rely primarily on desalinated seawater.
With an investment of approximately 1.2 billion yuan ($164.8 million), the project employs advanced technologies such as dissolved air flotation, ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis. A key innovation is its enhanced reverse osmosis system, achieving a single-unit desalination capacity of 30,000 tons per day — a world-first for seawater desalination projects.
The successful implementation of this domestically designed dual-membrane desalination system marks a milestone for the localization of such projects in China. It underscores technological self-sufficiency, advancing research in domestic desalination equipment and boosting the development of the marine equipment manufacturing sector.
(Executive editor: Zhu Zeya)
