ABB technology powers the world's largest desalination project

ABB's technology was used to build the world's largest desalination plant in Taweelah, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and ABB won a contract to modernize the city's water infrastructure. Today, on World Water Day, both projects highlight ABB's long-standing expertise in water solutions and services.

Located approximately 45km north of Abu Dhabi City, the Taweelah project will be Abu Dhabi's first reverse osmosis stand-alone water supply project, which will desalinate seawater for supply to local communities and industries in the region. It will also set a new benchmark for its scale, efficiency and cost by utilizing the minimum amount of energy per cubic meter of water produced.

The $500 million development will have the capacity to process more than 900,000 cubic meters of seawater per day, enough to meet the needs of more than 350,000 households, and is scheduled to be fully operational in the fourth quarter of 2022. The plant will play a key role in meeting peak water demand in the region, which is expected to increase by 11% between 2017 and 2024.

ABB is working with SEPCOIII, the plant's EPC contractor, to ensure continuity of power supply, improve system operational efficiency and reduce maintenance costs. In order to provide a safe, reliable and stable power supply for the operation of the desalination plant, ABB is delivering 30 digitally capable medium-voltage switchgear and 250 low-voltage switchgear. Financial details of the contract were not disclosed.

In power systems, switchgear is used to control, protect, and isolate electrical equipment to ensure an uninterrupted power supply. In order to optimize the operation, the delivered low-voltage switchgear integrates intelligent devices with data interfaces, which enable remote operation monitoring and status maintenance of the switchgear.

ABB also offers a wide range of low- and medium-voltage motors and variable speed drives to ensure reliable and energy-efficient pumping in the plant. Medium-voltage drives match the speed and torque of the motor to the pumping needs for maximum energy savings.

"We are very proud that ABB technology will be used at the Taweelah plant, which will contribute to U.A.E.'s goal of building a more sustainable, self-reliant and efficient water and energy sector in the country. It is estimated that the plant will meet the water needs of more than 350,000 households when it is commissioned. Water is clearly a key factor in a country's prosperity and growth, and today on World Water Day, we are excited to contribute to building a safe, smart and sustainable future," said Loay Dajani, Managing Director, Electrification, Middle East and Africa, ABB.

Integrated ABB solutions provide water to the city's growing population

McLean Technology Group (MTG) has hired ABB to provide automation, electrification and instrumentation solutions for Nashville's central wastewater treatment facility, which is managed by Metro Water Services (MWS), as it looks to meet the needs of the population, which is expected to increase by 50 percent to 2045.

MWS serves more than 250,000 customers and currently treats approximately 186 million gallons of water per day in its wastewater treatment facilities.

In this project, ABB Ability's control system will be implemented in a new head plant, and a screening and desand removal facility is under construction as part of the Central Wastewater Treatment Plant Optimization Project. The central facility will be optimized to have a maximum hydraulic capacity of 440 million gallons per day and will use ultraviolet light to disinfect treated wastewater, combined with heavy-duty and fine screens to reduce clogging. Works will also include improvements to delivery piping, upgrades to aeration systems, and additional odor source capture and treatment.

ABB's automation and control systems will give operators a comprehensive view of how the plant is performing in real time, allowing them to make more accurate decisions. As a result, the number of interfaces that operators have to manage is reduced, which minimizes risk and reduces troubleshooting time during start-up and commissioning.

In addition, ABB will provide control system optimization with a second control system that will standardize the operations of all MWS water and wastewater treatment plants. The scope includes upgrading all drives, instrumentation, and electrical components within the plant to increase efficiency, increase productivity, and reduce total cost of ownership with one integrated solution.

World Water Day has been celebrated annually on 22 March since 1993 to celebrate water and raise awareness of the 2.2 billion people who lack access to safe water. Globally, ABB solutions are being used to increase access to safe, clean drinking water and sanitation and to drive more sustainable water use across industry, agriculture and cities. For example, ABB's end-to-end solution will help local water authorities track, measure and optimize water use in the drought-stricken Koppal region of southwest India; ABB has increased the production capacity of the Al Ghubra desalination plant in Oman, and ABB automation systems are being used to modernize the aging water distribution system in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.

ABB technology powers the world's largest desalination project

ABB technology powers the world's largest desalination project

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