To address the problem, SAWACO turned to Gradiant, who has been conducting a long-term demonstration of the RO Infinity CFRO technology at SAWACO’s South Jeddah Corniche Plant. Gradiant’s RO Infinity CFRO process works by applying saline water to the permeate side of the membrane, reducing the osmotic pressure differential and enabling desalination of high salinity streams at relatively low pressure. All using standard, commercially available RO membranes and equipment.

The RO Infinity process was validated in an extended 3-year demonstration at SAWACO to prove continuous operation at 99.8% system availability, at 50% recovery, while using less energy than competing technologies.

The success of the RO Infinity demonstration led to award of a full-scale contract. Gradiant will design and deliver a new brine concentration system using the RO Infinity technology as a bolt-on addition to fit within the footprint of SAWACO’s existing conventional seawater desalination plant at Store City. SAWACO, supported by Suido Kiko Middle East, will construct the overall facility. Gradiant’s system will be fed only brine, nothing else, at 75,000 mg/L TDS, from the existing conventional desalination plant – water which would have otherwise been wasted, will be transformed into new, high-quality permeate. The final TDS concentration of the brine will be 150,000 mg/L.