SEAWATER REVERSE OSMOSIS
KEBERHASILAN COMMISSIONING INSTALASI DESALINASI DI GRESIK SMELTER AND REFINERY
Reverse osmosis (RO) has proven to be one of the most reliable, cost-effective, and energy-efficient technologies for producing fresh water compared to other desalination methods. In 2017, Enerba Teknologi successfully commissioned a desalination plant for PT. Smelting, Gresik Smelter & Refinery. The plant utilizes SWRO technology. The desalinated water is further treated through a BWRO system to produce permeate water for boiler and process water applications.
The Enerba Teknologi SWRO system consists of a 165 m³/hour pretreatment plant comprising a lamella clarifier, followed by a three-stage filtration process using sand filters, manganese filters, and carbon filters.
Energy Recovery Devices (ERD)
In SWRO desalination processes, reducing energy consumption is one of the primary concerns. Energy costs in SWRO systems typically account for 30–50% of the total water production cost and can reach up to 75% of the operating cost, depending on electricity prices. Therefore, energy consumption represents a major cost factor in drinking water production.
The unit installed at PT. Smelting – Gresik is equipped with an energy recovery device (ERD) utilizing a turbocharger. This system is simple and cost-effective, although it provides lower efficiency, achieving approximately 40% energy savings.
PLC & SCADA-Based Automation of SWRO Desalination Plants
SCADA stands for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition. A SCADA system is a computer-based monitoring and control system that collects and records operational data in real time. It is used to acquire data and control plant variables such as temperature, pH, and pressure. The most critical control parameters in an SWRO plant include flow rate, pressure, and conductivity.
Enerba Teknologi has developed a unique operating system utilizing proprietary hardware and software within a distributed control system (DCS), enabling the automatic start-up and shutdown of complex RO systems.