Seawater Desalination & Brackish Water Treatment Systems
WorldwideTradeX supplies seawater desalination and brackish water treatment systems for coastal facilities, island resorts, offshore platforms, and industrial plants where freshwater supply is limited or unavailable.
Our systems use high-pressure reverse osmosis (SWRO) technology — the global standard for converting seawater into potable or process-grade water.
Seawater desalination reverse osmosis system for coastal installation
What Is Seawater Desalination?
Seawater desalination removes dissolved salts, minerals, and contaminants from seawater (TDS 30,000–45,000 ppm) or brackish water (TDS 1,000–10,000 ppm) to produce freshwater suitable for drinking, irrigation, or industrial use.
Reverse osmosis (RO) is the dominant technology — high-pressure pumps force seawater through semi-permeable membranes that reject 99%+ of dissolved salts.
System Types
SWRO — Seawater Reverse Osmosis
For open sea or coastal intake water with TDS 30,000–45,000 ppm:
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Feed TDS | 30,000 – 45,000 ppm |
| Operating pressure | 55 – 70 bar |
| Recovery rate | 35 – 45% |
| Product TDS | < 500 ppm (WHO drinking standard) |
| Energy consumption | 3.5 – 5.0 kWh/m³ |
BWRO — Brackish Water Reverse Osmosis
For well water, estuarine, or slightly saline sources with TDS 1,000–10,000 ppm:
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Feed TDS | 1,000 – 10,000 ppm |
| Operating pressure | 10 – 25 bar |
| Recovery rate | 70 – 85% |
| Product TDS | < 200 ppm |
| Energy consumption | 0.5 – 1.5 kWh/m³ |
Capacity Range
| System Size | Daily Output | Application |
|---|---|---|
| Mini (compact) | 1 – 10 m³/day | Boats, small islands, remote cabins |
| Small | 10 – 100 m³/day | Hotels, resorts, small communities |
| Medium | 100 – 1,000 m³/day | Coastal hotels, industrial plants |
| Large | 1,000 – 10,000 m³/day | Municipal supply, large industry |
| Industrial | 10,000+ m³/day | Desalination plants |
System Components
Pre-Treatment
- Multimedia filtration — removes suspended solids and turbidity
- Ultrafiltration (UF) — removes bacteria, colloids, and fine particles
- Cartridge filters — 5 micron final pre-filter
- Antiscalant dosing — prevents membrane scaling
- Chlorination/dechlorination — biofouling control
RO Membrane Stage
- High-rejection SWRO membranes — 99.6%+ salt rejection
- High-pressure pumps — energy-efficient variable speed drives
- Energy recovery devices (ERD) — reduces energy consumption by 40–60%
- Pressure vessels — 6–8 element configuration
Post-Treatment
- Remineralization — adds calcium and magnesium for taste and health
- pH adjustment — stabilizes product water
- UV disinfection — final sterilization
- Chlorination — residual disinfection for distribution
Applications
- Coastal hotels and resorts — independent freshwater supply
- Island communities — where no freshwater aquifer exists
- Offshore oil & gas platforms — crew water supply
- Desalination plants — municipal water supply
- Industrial processes — boiler feed, cooling water, process water
- Aquaculture — controlled salinity water for fish farming
- Greenhouses — irrigation water in arid coastal regions
Energy Efficiency
Modern SWRO systems with energy recovery devices consume 3.0–4.0 kWh per m³ of product water — a 60% reduction compared to systems from 10 years ago.
Energy sources compatible:
- Grid electricity
- Solar PV (off-grid desalination)
- Wind power
- Diesel generator (remote locations)