Desalination Plant Development: New Environmental Risk Guide from Metoc UK

Metoc plc, UK, has produced a new guide to environmental risk for operators, project engineers and contractors when planning the location and design of desalination plants. At the Euromed 2006 Conference in Montpellier, France, on May 22nd Metoc presented a paper on the Hamma project in Algeria, for which the company provided an EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) for the construction and operation of Africa’s largest desalination plant.

(PRWEB) May 29, 2006 -- Metoc plc has produced a new guide to environmental risk for operators, project engineers and contractors when planning the location and design of desalination plants – a sector valued at $10 billion across Europe, Middle Ease and Africa over the next 5 years, according to the environmental engineering consultancy. The new guide to risk audits is available at www.metoc.co.uk/water_deslination_what_we_do.htm

At the Euromed 2006 Conference in Montpellier, France, on May 22nd Metoc presented a paper on the Hamma project in Algeria, for which the company provided an EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) for the construction and operation of Africa’s largest desalination plant. A copy of the paper is also available on the Metoc web site.

“There are complex compliance, engineering design and operational issues in planning desalination plants – including the optimisation of discharge and intake arrangements to avert the risk of hypersaline and heated water recirculation. So planners must take account of site geology, circulation of sea water, local weather patterns and environmental sensitivity. Getting it wrong at this early stage can impact on the success of a project – on operational asset efficiency and also on the environment.” says Metoc Business Manager Water, Richard Dannatt.

Metoc, based in the UK, provides specialist advisory and Environmental management services worldwide for desalination plant and other asset planning and development projects where the demands of engineering meet the constraints of the environment in marine, river and land projects. Metoc’s experience ranges from installations at Felixstowe, for Anglian Water, to Kharg Island in Iran, for Petrofac.

Metoc delivers independent environmental engineering solutions – including geological surveys, Environmental Impact Assessment, coastal, river and air emission modelling to provide information required for the location, design, building and commissioning of desalination plants. This is undertaken within Metoc’s accredited methodology, Environmental Design Optimisation, to assess performance against CAPEX and OPEX options.

Note to Editor:-

Metoc provides support to the water, energy, marine cable and renewables industry sectors on environmental and related regulatory issues. Services include : research, planning, risk management, contract negotiations, data gathering and site supervision, as well as predictive modelling, and environmental optimisation.

Clients of Metoc include asset owners and operators, their engineering consultants and contractors. The company defines and advises on the specific options and opportunities for senior management and engineers to enable project teams to protect assets and optimise their productive use and performance within the environmental context, whilst achieving full legislative compliance and minimising related risks and costs.

Ends…
For further information:   
Natalie Johnson
Metoc plc, Exchange House, Station Road
Liphook, GU30 7DW Tel: + 44 (0)1428 727800
http://www.metoc.co.uk

Media information:      
Patrick Rea, Rea-TMA Marketing
Tel: +44 (0)20 8870 4976
http://www.rea-tma.co.uk

# # #