Desalination Dream On Track: Chennai's Mega Plant Breaks Ground at Perur

 Construction is in full swing for the development of Chennai's fourth desalination plant in Perur along the East Coast Road (ECR). The facility, expected to become the largest desalination plant in South-east Asia, is making significant progress in its civil work phase.

 Excavation activities have commenced to establish various units, including the intake sump and treated water storage system. Additionally, efforts are underway to construct a compound wall and establish separate access roads to two burial grounds located on the site. The comprehensive plant will incorporate essential components such as lamellar clarifier units, dissolved air flotation, and gravity dual media filters (GDMF) designed to separate total suspended solids in seawater.

 Anticipated to be completed by December 2026, the seawater reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plant will consist of two 200-MLD units, providing a total treatment capacity of 400 MLD. This ensures a consistent production of 200 MLD of treated water at any given time, in line with the plans of the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board. The Rs 4,276-crore project will adhere to the environmental impact recommendations of the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), including an erosion management plan. Post-mineralisation units for treated water will be incorporated before distribution.

 Situated a few kilometers from the existing Nemmeli plant, the new facility is part of a joint venture between VA Tech WABAG and Metito Overseas, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The treated water will be transported through a 59-km pipeline to a newly constructed pumping facility at Porur, serving as a distribution hub for various areas. The plant is expected to benefit around 22.62 lakh people, encompassing the Greater Chennai and Tambaram Corporations.

News by Rahul Yelligetti