Nirma's Gujarat Manufacturing Facility Secures Fresh Water Supply with a 25 MLD Seawater Reverse Osmosis Plant Utilizing Aquatech LoWatt™ Technology
| Challenge: | Facing significant water scarcity in Gujarat, Nirma implement a 25 MLD Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) system, reducing reliance on rainwater and ensuring a sustainable freshwater supply for its operations. |
| Solution: | Aquatech designed and supplied an innovative SWRO system, leveraging advanced pretreatment, energy optimization, and water recovery technologies, including their patented LoWatt™ TM technology. |
| Result: | The implementation allowed Nirma to meet increased freshwater demands sustainably, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing environmental impact in Gujarat. |
This case study discussed how Aquatech delivered a reliable, energy-efficient, and sustainable desalination solution for Nirma, addressing biofouling and high suspended solids challenges, ultimately enhancing operational efficiency and reducing costs.
Nirma's Gujarat Manufacturing Facility Leveraging Aquatech's LoWatt™ Low-Energy Desalination Solution.
Nirma's Gujarat Manufacturing Facility Leveraging Aquatech's LoWatt™ Low-Energy Desalination Solution.
Nirma's Gujarat Manufacturing Facility Leveraging Aquatech's LoWatt™ Low-Energy Desalination Solution.
Nirma is a leading multi-sector fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brand headquartered in Gujarat, India. The company manufactures a wide range of products, including cosmetics, soaps, detergents, salt, soda ash, LAB, and injectables. Nirma is the largest-selling detergent brand in India and is also the global leader in soda ash production capacity.
Challenge
Located in Gujarat, an area known for significant water scarcity, Nirma required a reliable and sustainable solution to meet its freshwater needs. The company sought to reduce its reliance on rainwater by exploring seawater treatment options to ensure a consistent water supply for its manufacturing operations. Aquatech was selected to design and implement a state-of-the-art 25 MLD Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) system.
Solution
Aquatech conducted a thorough assessment of Nirma's feed water quality and operational challenges. Based on this analysis, Aquatech recommended deploying its LoWatt™ technology—a groundbreaking reverse osmosis desalination process engineered to minimize energy consumption and prevent biofouling.
The LoWatt™ system incorporates advanced ultrafiltration (UF) membranes in the pretreatment stage, reducing bacteria by over 6 logs and viruses by 1-2 logs. The UF process achieves a consistently low Silt Density Index (SDI), often below 2, making it highly effective in removing suspended particles and biofouling agents.
Further treatment includes a biofoulant removal step, targeting the elimination of various organics such as humic acids, polysaccharides, proteins, amino acids, carbohydrates, bacteria, viruses, and other potential biofouling contributors. The SWRO membranes operate at a lower flux of around 7 GFD, optimizing energy consumption across a wide temperature range with minimal power variation. A unique cleaning method leverages natural osmotic pressure differentials between reject and permeate water to dislodge biofilm, facilitating its easy removal.
Customer Benefits
The installation of Aquatech's LoWatt™ RO desalination process delivered significant benefits to Nirma's water treatment facility. LoWatt™ effectively addresses biofouling and energy efficiency, challenges while ensuring reliance and sustainable performance in water treatment operations. With a robust pretreatment system that includes tube settlers and media filtration, the system efficiently managed the high levels of suspended solids in the feed water. These advancements enhanced the facility’s reliability, reduced operational costs, and ensured a consistent water supply for Nirma's expanded operations.