Penghu Magong No. 2 Desalination Plant Phase 1 Achieves Chemical-Free and Low-Carbon Brine Backwash Operations
Construction methods · Low-carbon materials · AEC industry
Phase 1 of Penghu Magong No. 2 Seawater Desalination Plant adopted activated glass media and reusable bag filters for pretreatment without coagulants. The RO system integrates a patented energy recovery device to suppress scaling, eliminating antiscalants and CIP chemical cleaning. Using discharged brine for sand filter backwashing saves 222,000 tonnes of filtered water and avoids 53 tonnes of CO2e annually, with product TDS consistently at 217–233 mg/l.
According to engineering insights published by Kuo Toong International personnel in the Journal of the Chinese Institute of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering, desalination accounts for over 80% of Penghu's water supply, functioning as baseload water. To minimize ecological impacts on Class A marine waters, Magong No. 2 Desalination Plant Phase 1 eliminated chemical usage across its treatment process. The pretreatment system combines activated glass media with bag filters, utilizing electrostatic adsorption to capture suspended solids and curb biofilm formation. The reverse osmosis unit utilizes pulsed flow from a patented energy recovery device to inhibit membrane fouling without antiscalants or periodic acid/alkali CIP washings. Additionally, the plant repurposes discharge brine for sand filter backwashing rather than treated water, advancing decarbonization while preserving marine ecology.
Key takeaways
- Pretreatment applies activated glass media and washable bag filters to remove micro-scale particulates and inhibit biofilm formation without coagulants or chemical cleaning agents.
- The RO system suppresses membrane scaling via pulsed flow from a patented energy recovery device, eliminating antiscalants and CIP washings while maintaining TDS between 217 and 233 mg/l.
- Reusing RO concentrate brine for sand filter backwashing saves 222,000 tonnes of filtered water annually and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 53 tonnes CO2e.
- Quarterly marine monitoring by Taiwan Water Corporation confirms compliance with Class A marine water standards, supporting the environmental compatibility of chemical-free discharge.
Source：中國土木水利工程學會｜土木水利 Read the original ↗
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