Partial membrane replacement at ETAP del ATABAL desalination plant. Nicolás Urgoiti Moinot, Head of Drinking Water Treatment at EMASA, presents a case study on the partial replacement of membranes in one of the membrane racks at the ETAP del ATABAL (Málaga) desalination plant.
This desalination facility has been a pioneer on numerous occasions since beginning operations in 2005, being one of the world’s largest brackish water desalination plants of its time with energy recovery from brine.
Key Messages from Nicolás’s Presentation:
- Reuse of 78 regenerated reverse osmosis membranes supplied by Ecomemb and installed in the second stage of one of their membrane racks: 2 membranes out of 7 (29%), positioned in the first and second positions of each membrane element.
- No need to remove all membranes for the replacement procedure.
- Pressure reduction of at least 1 bar to produce the same water quality, resulting in energy cost savings of at least €4,800 over the 221-day trial period.
- Water quality remained within the operational limits established by the user.
Here you can find a summary of his presentation at the Conference on Circular Management of Water Treatment Membranes held in June 2025. video
Other Publications of Interest
Workshop on circular membranne management for water treatment: enlace
Success Stories of Ecomembranes in Industry: link
Don’t you know yet what Ecomemb does?: link
