Energy Recovery has announced five new industrial wastewater treatment project wins across India, with its PX® Pressure Exchanger® technology selected for zero-liquid discharge (ZLD) reverse osmosis systems serving multiple water-intensive industries.
The new contracts cover facilities in the textile, photovoltaic manufacturing, steel and petrochemical refining sectors, highlighting growing demand for energy-efficient wastewater reuse technologies as India strengthens environmental regulations and water conservation efforts.
Supporting India’s drive towards industrial water reuse
India is facing increasing pressure on freshwater resources, with approximately 18% of the world’s population but only around 4% of global freshwater supplies. Water demand is projected to exceed available supply by 2030, driving greater adoption of advanced wastewater treatment and water reuse technologies.
The newly awarded projects will all incorporate zero-liquid discharge systems, which recover water for reuse while eliminating liquid wastewater discharge. Although highly effective, ZLD systems require significant energy, making efficiency improvements increasingly important for industrial operators.
Energy Recovery’s PX Pressure Exchanger devices capture hydraulic energy from the reverse osmosis process and return it to the system, helping to reduce electricity consumption and operating costs.
Five new projects across key industrial sectors
The five contracts represent a combined wastewater treatment capacity of approximately 30,000 cubic metres per day. Once operational, they will increase the total industrial wastewater treatment capacity supported by Energy Recovery technology in India to more than 230,000 cubic metres per day.
The projects span several of India’s largest industrial sectors, including textiles, photovoltaic manufacturing, steel production and petrochemical refining, all of which are under increasing pressure to improve water efficiency and comply with tighter wastewater discharge regulations.
David Kim-Hak, Vice President of Wastewater at Energy Recovery, said:
“India is moving quickly toward water reuse and ZLD, and that shift puts real pressure on the energy economics of industrial water treatment.
“Operators across these industries are now designing energy recovery devices into their systems from the start. Bringing the proven efficiency and reliability of our PX technology to these applications helps them lower operating costs and emissions while reducing their exposure to volatile power prices.”
Reducing the energy cost of reverse osmosis
According to Energy Recovery, its PX technology operates at up to 99% efficiency using a single moving part. By recovering pressure energy generated during reverse osmosis, the devices help reduce power consumption while improving the economics of industrial water reuse projects.
As more industries invest in water recycling and zero-liquid discharge infrastructure, energy recovery technologies are expected to play an increasingly important role in reducing operational costs and supporting more sustainable water management.
For more information, visit Energy Recovery.
