Containerized Seawater Desalination Systems

Containerized seawater desalination systems based on reverse osmosis (RO) technology provide a flexible, rapidly deployable solution for freshwater production in coastal and island locations. Unlike conventional civil-construction desalination plants, containerized systems can be operational within weeks of delivery and relocated as project needs change.

Technology Overview: Reverse Osmosis

Reverse osmosis forces seawater through semi-permeable membranes at high pressure (55–70 bar), rejecting 99.5%+ of dissolved salts, bacteria, and viruses. Modern RO systems achieve energy consumption of 3.0–4.5 kWh per cubic meter of product water — a 60% improvement over systems from 20 years ago, largely due to energy recovery devices (ERDs).

Standard Capacity Range

• 50 m³/day — Single 20ft container, suitable for small communities or construction camps (200–300 people)
• 100 m³/day — Single 40ft container, suitable for medium communities (400–600 people)
• 250 m³/day — Two-container system, suitable for small industrial operations
• 500 m³/day — Three-container system, suitable for mining camps or island resorts
• 1,000 m³/day — Multi-container system, suitable for small municipalities
• Custom sizes up to 10,000 m³/day — Modular expansion possible

Key Technical Specifications

SMT's standard containerized RO systems include:

• Pre-treatment: Multi-media filtration, cartridge filtration (5 micron), chemical dosing (antiscalant, biocide)
• RO Membranes: Dow Filmtec, Toray, or equivalent 8-inch elements
• High-Pressure Pumps: Grundfos or Danfoss, stainless steel 316L construction
• Energy Recovery: Pressure exchanger (iSave or ERI PX) for systems >250 m³/day
• Post-treatment: Remineralization, UV disinfection, chlorination
• Control System: PLC with remote monitoring capability (4G/satellite)
• Power Supply: 380V/50Hz or 440V/60Hz, compatible with diesel generator or grid

Deployment Considerations

Successful deployment of containerized desalination systems requires careful site assessment:

• Seawater quality: TDS, temperature, SDI, and biological content affect system design
• Intake design: Beach well intake preferred for biological control; open intake requires additional pre-treatment
• Brine disposal: Concentrate must be returned to sea at sufficient distance and depth
• Power availability: System power demand ranges from 3–8 kW per m³/day capacity
• Civil works: Concrete pad, perimeter fencing, and chemical storage shed required

SMT Supply Package

SMT proporciona sistemas de desalinización completamente containerizados desde el diseño hasta la puesta en marcha. Nuestro paquete estándar incluye: diseño del sistema basado en su análisis de calidad del agua, pruebas de aceptación en fábrica (FAT) antes del envío, supervisión de la instalación, capacitación de operadores y garantía de rendimiento de 12 meses.