Bringing the ecological discussion to the forefront – IDE Technologies promotes the environmental added value of Pigging


KADIMA, Israel, Feb. 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IDE Technologies, a world leader in desalination and advanced water treatment solutions, continues to promote its sustainability agenda. IDE has recently published a short, informational video on the environmental and operational benefits of Pigging – an intake pipe cleaning process performed in large seawater desalination plants to maintain continuous operation with minimal environmental impact.

In most large seawater desalination facilities, seawater intake pipe cleaning is maintained by continuously dosing chlorine into the seawater. This process prevents most marine life from growing inside the pipes unless organic material has already begun accumulating, in which case chlorination alone will not suffice. Chlorination also requires dosing of the neutralizing chemical Sodium Metabisulfite to ensure chlorine does not reach the membranes, and damage them irreparably.  

Pigging is a mechanical, straightforward and highly effective process that is 100% chemical-free. It involves a specialized declogging device called a Pig that scrapes all the organic material from the inside of the intake pipes using a stream of high-pressure seawater, which is pumped from the facility towards the suction head of the intake pipes. The Pig is designed to be adjusted for all pipe sizes and the process is usually performed three times a year, depending on the local growth rate of marine life. At the end of the process, sand and organic material is returned to the sea.

Although Pigging is already an established and proven procedure and even a preferred method in some regions, chlorination is still common practice in others. In some cases, this can be attributed to lack of familiarity with more sustainable alternatives. In an effort to promote innovative water technologies that are both efficient and environmentally-conscious, IDE is sharing the aforementioned video with the aim to inspire a sustainability-centric conversation.

IDE Technologies - Sustainability. Integrity. People

A world leader in providing advanced water treatment solutions, IDE specializes in the development, engineering, construction and operation of some of the world's largest and most advanced thermal and membrane desalination facilities and industrial water treatment plants. IDE partners with a wide range of customers – municipalities, mining, refineries and power plants – on all aspects of water projects and delivers approximately 3 million m3/day of high-quality water worldwide.

For more information, visit www.ide-tech.com.

Press Contact:
Inga Balter, Marketing Manager at IDE Technologies
+972-52-477-3375 | ingab@ide-tech.com