The Zhongguancun Industrial Technology Innovation Alliance for Seawater Desalination was held in the Caofeidian New Energy Seawater Desalination Plant. Members who took part in the launching ceremony also visited two seawater desalination plants owned by the Beijing Enterprises Group Co Ltd and the Shougang Group.

The Zhongguancun Industrial Technology Innovation Alliance for Seawater Desalination is initiated by thirteen enterprises, including the Beijing Enterprises Group Co Ltd, Shougang Group, Beijing Scinor Technology Company, Beijing OriginWater Co Ltd, and the Beijing Chuangshiqi Technology Company. The alliance aims to integrate advantageous resources to improve their self-innovation ability and industrial core technology competitiveness for companies in the Zhongguancun Science Park.

This industrial alliance has carried out experiments and research to improve the technology of combining new energies and seawater desalination, thus decreasing investment and water-making costs while reducing environmental pollution. The alliance also tested key materials for seawater desalination and the properties of desalination equipments, such as membranes, pumps and energy recycling facilities.

Two projects for seawater desalination demonstration were launched, respectively adopting the membrane method and the thermal method.

The membrane method demonstration project will be constructed in two periods. In the first period the project can process 1,000 tons of seawater per day. The Scinor Technology Company and the Beijing Enterprises Group are responsible for the overall design and construction of the project. The OriginWater Company and Scinor Technology Company are responsible for the research and development. They will also provide ultra filtration membrane assembly and counter-osmosis membrane components. The Chuangshiqi Technology is responsible for providing energy-recycling.

The thermal method project has been carried out in the Caofeidian Seawater Desalination Plant. The Shougang Group and the Scinor Technogy Company are working out the program, which can produce drinking 5 tons of drinking water per day.

Alghough China has built a batch of medium and large seawater desalination plants, the key materials and equipments are imported from abroad. Therefore, many high-tech industries have begun to put more effort into the research and development of new energies and seawater desalination to break the monopoly by foreign enterprises. They aim to reduce the energy consumption and the cost of seawater desalination.

Edited by Rakhee M