Modern Water claims Oman success

The plant will earn Modern Water its first revenue from desalination.

The Al-Khaluf plant, located approximately 450 km from the capital Muscat, is the second to use Modern Water's manipulated osmosis desalination (MOD) technology, which is claimed to substantially reduce operating costs and significantly reduce energy and chemical consumption. No further details about the plant were released.

Modern Water says that the plant demonstrates the successful application of its technology in a technically challenging environment. Modern Water's first MOD plant, in Gibraltar, has been producing water since September 2008.

Commenting on the plant, Modern Water executive chairman Neil McDougall said, "Through completing a successful commissioning process in Oman, we have demonstrated that our MOD technology can operate effectively in technically challenging surroundings with high levels of salinity."

Modern Water also announced that its proving plant in Gibraltar is continuing to operate successfully. Further improvements have been made to the Gibraltar plant, resulting in at least a 30% increase in productivity to the forward-osmosis part of the process.

The company says that further analysis is being undertaken to assess the effect on the efficiency levels over the whole process. An ongoing research and development programme is in place to further improve efficiency of the pla