SubSea Infrastructure

Background

The availability of fresh drinking water has long been one of the central requirements for human life. The presence of fresh water was the key factor in the establishment of all human settlements - and as these sites expanded in terms of population and activities, the pressure on fresh water resources have grown.

Mankind has always been adept at using technology to increase and secure fresh water supplies, through a mixture of more efficient exploitation of natural resources including aquifers, better storage and sewage re-processing – and in the last century desalination techniques have been employed to ‘create’ new fresh water, mimicking natural processes. Cloud formation from the evaporation of sea water followed by rainfall is nature’s own ‘desalination process’.

But a combination of increasing populations particularly in the developing world, ‘water intensive’ agricultural requirements, industrial pressures and rapid global warming have meant that in certain locations nature cannot supply sufficient drinking water for its growing population

With seawater representing over 90 per cent of the world’s water, desalination holds out the greatest hope for meeting the growing demand. But the technology comes at a price – traditional large-scale desalination plants require capital investment of several hundred million dollars and can take years to become fully operational. There are also ongoing concerns about the true environmental cost of such large scale projects.

SSI was formed in 2004 by a group of industry professionals, backed by independent financiers, determined to take advantage of the latest developments in reverse osmosis technology to provide a genuine cost-effective and low-impact alternative to large-scale desalination plants – the transportable, modular desalination solution.

How we work

SSI has the experience to lead the project from conception to operation. We manage a wide range of activities associated with the financing, tendering, procurement, installation and delivery of a fully operational transportable desalination plant.

Reverse osmosis

SSI employs the latest and extremely efficient reverse osmosis technology.

The process uses semi-permeable membranes to separate and remove dissolved solids, organics, pyrogens, submicron colloidal matter, viruses and bacteria from water.

The process requires pressure to force pure water across a membrane, leaving the impurities behind. This is brine, and it is typically dispersed back into the sea.

Reverse osmosis is capable of removing 95-99 per cent of the total dissolved solids, and 99 per cent of all bacteria from sea water. Furthermore the post treatment processes reintroduce key minerals to obtain the correct level of alkalinity and provide fresh drinking water of exceptional purity.

Integration into existing water systems

The fresh water can be supplied directly into the local water system or into dams, reservoirs or aquifers via a fixed pipeline. This water can be used to supplement drinking water supplies or to support irrigation projects. Alternatively, it can be supplied direct to large coastal industrial or commercial users such as power stations.

The pressure on natural local water supplies can therefore be alleviated. Traditional water extraction from rivers and reservoirs can be reduced, giving damaged or stressed local environments a chance to recover.

Contract periods

Given that the transportable desalination model is designed as an interim fresh water solution, SSI works on a fully negotiable contract delivery basis.

SSI aims to fill the three months-to-three year (3-to-3) Water Gap, with a typical installations operating for between 1-2 years.

Advantages

Each of the three delivery models has its own specific advantages, making each appropriate for different geographical, geological, environmental and political circumstances.

However all three modular solutions share significant benefits: