Indian firm to build desalination plants in Iraq

Monday, 18 October 2004, 19:30 IST
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CHENNAI: A company here has announced it has won a contract worth $5 million to build desalination plants for American troops in war-torn Iraq. Shivsu Watek Private Limited will build 16 desalination plants and each plant will have the capacity of making 60,000 litres of drinking grade water a day from seawater. The firm will put together the plants in several Middle East countries in Iraq's neighbourhood and the water will then be transported to Iraq. "It is currently accepted worldwide that the most affordable and long-term solution for potable water is seawater desalination through the reverse osmosis process," said Shiv Kumar Eashwaran, executive director of Shivsu Watek. "The US troops in Iraq have felt this need". With the use of power saving devices like energy recovery turbines, the cost per litre of converting seawater to potable water can work out to be as low as seven to 10 Indian paise a litre, including the cost of maintenance and power, Eashwaran said. The company won the contract in an international bid, he said. Reverse osmosis plants to convert seawater to drinking water have been in use for decades. "With proper process design and efficient conservation of energy, seawater desalination systems with reverse osmosis can be a long-term solution at an affordable price," he said. Shivsu Watek Private Limited was established in 1972. "Over the past three decades, Shivsu has designed, manufactured, and commissioned water treatment plants with indigenous and foreign know-how for prime industries, hospitals, government organisations, off-shore oil rigs, and mineral water manufacturers," said Sushil Eashwaran, the company's technical director.
Source: IANS
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