Flowserve wins contract for Escondida water supply project in Chile

Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction has awarded a contract to Flowserve Corporation to supply pumps and an energy recovery system (ERS) for a seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant near Antofagasta, Chile.

The plant is being developed by Minera Escondida with a capacity of 216,000m³/day. It will supply fresh water to a copper mine located 3,100m above sea level, 170km southeast of Antofagasta in the Atacama Desert.

Expected to be complete in 2017, the SWRO plant is an expansion of the existing 40,000m³/day plant. When complete, it will be the largest desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere.

Doosan has purchased all 48 pumps for the plant from Flowserve, along with 27 dual work exchange energy recovery (DWEER) devices.

The Flowserve DWEER offers one of the highest efficiencies of all energy recovery systems on the market today, since it minimises leakage and mixing of the brine.

Flowserve sales organisation president Jim Quain said that the company is pleased that Doosan has continued to work with Flowserve on projects of this importance and magnitude.

"As a global leader in the growing desalination industry, Flowserve products provides industry leading efficiency and reliability, both key factors when Doosan selected Flowserve for this important project," Quain added.