Major Contract for Power Plant with Seawater Desalination

It is the first so-called “supercritical power station” in China providing a generation capacity of 600 MW. This particular type of power plant is capable of achieving the maximum efficiency currently possible.

The order amounting to several million euros includes the supply of power station pumps and a number of specially designed corrosion-resistant pumps. These are destined for use in the seawater desalination plant which is currently under construction and set to produce the fresh water needed for the power plant’s circuits. Reverse osmosis is the method applied in this new desalination plant. In this physical separation process high-pressure pumps generate a pressure in excess of the “osmotic pressure” and pump the seawater along a membrane. While part of the water penetrates the membrane and is removed downstream as desalinated water, the salt remains in the fluid upstream of the membrane. Pressures ranging from 60 to 90 bar are required to desalinate seawater when applying this method.

The pump manufacturer’s proven track record and experience in building boiler feed pumps for supercritical plants and high-pressure pumps for RO systems ensured the order was placed with KSB. A further point in favour of KSB was the fact that the majority of the pumps to be supplied are manufactured in China.

KSB is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of pumps, valves and related systems for industrial applications and building services, for water and waste water management and for the energy and mining sectors. The Group has a presence on all five continents with its own sales and marketing organizations, manufacturing facilities and service operations. With a workforce of approximately 13,000 worldwide, the Group generates a total sales volume in the region of €1.4 billion.