Located along the East China Sea, the island presents a challenging environment characterized by high salinity, high humidity, and a highly corrosive climate—conditions that put water treatment equipment to the ultimate test. Due to the island’s remote location and logistical constraints regarding equipment transport and maintenance, there is an urgent need for a customized seawater desalination solution that is corrosion-resistant, durable, intelligent, efficient, and easy to maintain.
With over 20 years of expertise in the water treatment sector, Tianjian Water—leveraging its proprietary core technology in ceramic ultrafiltration membranes—has tailored a “ceramic ultrafiltration + reverse osmosis” desalination system for the island, using cutting-edge technology to solve its freshwater supply challenges.
(I) Exceptional durability, suited for extreme island environments
The system utilizes alumina-based ceramic membranes, which offer stable physicochemical properties, acid-alkali resistance, and corrosion resistance. Capable of withstanding high pressures of 0.7 MPa, these membranes boast a lifespan exceeding 20 years—three to ten times that of traditional organic membranes—ensuring sustained flux without degradation despite the island’s harsh, saline, and humid conditions.
(II) High-precision filtration, superior water quality
With a filtration precision of 30 nm, the system efficiently removes impurities such as silt, algae, colloids, and bacteria. The output turbidity remains consistently at or below 0.05 NTU—far surpassing national standards—thereby providing high-quality feed water for the downstream reverse osmosis system and extending the service life of the reverse osmosis membranes.
(III) Intelligent integration, streamlined and efficient O&M
The system features fully automated PLC control, integrating the entire process from raw water intake and pretreatment to desalination. It supports automatic start/stop and variable-frequency adjustment based on operating conditions, enabling “unmanned operation with periodic inspections.” With a one-hour response time and on-site maintenance within 12 hours, the system effectively resolves the challenges of island-based operations and maintenance.
(IV) Process upgrades: energy conservation, cost reduction, and efficiency gains
By replacing traditional multi-media filters with ceramic ultrafiltration membranes, the system simplifies the process flow, reduces chemical consumption and equipment footprint, and eliminates the need for secondary pressurization. This lowers energy consumption and cuts O&M costs by over 40% compared to traditional processes, perfectly meeting the island’s need for cost-effective operation. This project equips an island in Xiangshan with two seawater desalination units—each with a daily capacity of 5 tons—complemented by a 3.2 m³/h ceramic ultrafiltration system, a 50 m³ sterile freshwater tank, and a fully corrosion-resistant electrical control system. The output water quality surpasses the Standards for Drinking Water Quality (GB5749-2022), making it suitable for direct consumption and ecological maintenance, thereby ending the island’s historical reliance on weather-dependent water shipments.
The process transforms turbulent seawater into fresh, clean water through a streamlined, efficient, and stable workflow: water intake → ceramic membrane pre-treatment → reverse osmosis desalination → sterilization and supply. The equipment features reinforced anti-corrosion casing to withstand the island’s harsh, corrosive environment, while its modular design facilitates transport and installation, allowing for delivery, commissioning, and rapid deployment within just 60 days.
