스페인 계약자 악시오나 아구아(Acciona Agua)는 최근 수주한 칠레 제3 아타카마(Atacama) 지역, 코피아포(Copiapo) 밸리의 해수 담수화 플랜트 Minera CAP 확장 사업의 실행 과정에 있어서 Energy Recovery Inc(ERI)의 에너지 복원 기술을 사용할 예정이라고 지난 7월 16일 발표하였다.

악시오나 사는 ERI 사의 PX Q 시리즈 압력 변출기를 향후 1년 이내 하루 39310리터 성능으로 확장 가능한 하루 21830리터 성능의 플랜트에 설치할 것이라고 밝혔다.

"우리는 높은 효율성과 다른 시장의 어느 솔루션 대책에도 적용 가능한 유연성을 자랑하는 ERI PX Q 시리즈 설비를 선택하였습니다."라고 훌리오 호리야(Julio Zorrilla) 악시오나 아구아 사의 코피아포 플랜트 건설 담당자는 말하였다. "사업 이익부터 환경적 영향까지 모든 것을 고려하였을 때, 이 설비 운영만 한 것이 없습니다."

Spanish contractor Acciona Agua has chosen Energy Recovery Inc (ERI) energy-recovery equipment for its contract for the Minera CAP expansion desalination project in the Copiapo Valley in Chile's Atacama Region III, ERI announced on 16 July 2013. 

Acciona will install ERI's PX　 Q Series pressure exchangers at the 21,830 m³/d plant, which has potential for expansion to 39,310 m³/d within the next year. 

"We chose ERI's PX Q Series device because it has the highest efficiency and availability of any other solution on the market," stated Julio Zorrilla, Acciona Agua's director of construction for the Copiapo Plant. "From a profit and environmental standpoint, it makes the most sense for this operation." 

ERI technology is being used in numerous desalination plants in Chile. The company is working with Spanish water companies Acciona Agua, Valoriza, Aqualia and Cadagua, and is in early stage discussions with Israeli, American and Korean companies around the world, who view Chile as a strong future market. 

The company says that many of the legacy plants are still using Pelton technology for energy recovery because electricity costs were lower at the time of design. Now that energy costs have risen significantly, its PX technology is an attractive choice for upgrade in the near future as the payback for investment is within months. 

 Last week, ERI announced that the federal district court for the Eastern District of Virginia had issued an injunction against its former employee Leif Hauge, who played a critical role in developing the company's pressure exchangers. 

The parties' primary disagreement involved the ownership of several patents and intellectual property related to pressure exchangers. 

In issuing an injunction prohibiting Hauge or his company Isobarix from manufacturing and selling pressure exchangers and replacement parts for ERI's pressure exchangers, the court found that Hauge had knowingly violated its prior order approving a 2001 settlement between Hauge and ERI, and thus was found to be in contempt of the court's order. 

[출처: D&WR / 2013년 7월 17일]