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Process and Chemical

Desalination Plant Operation and Optimisation

Desalination turns energy into water at a cost that depends almost entirely on how well the plant is operated and how well the membranes or tubes are protected. This course covers both technologies. Delegates work through thermal processes including multi stage flash and multi effect distillation, and reverse osmosis including membrane behaviour, and the pretreatment that determines membrane life. Heat balance, performance ratio and specific energy consumption are calculated rather than described. Scaling, fouling and biofouling are covered as the failure mechanisms that dominate operating cost, along with cleaning regimes. The course closes on start up, shutdown and optimisation against energy price.

5 day course

Course objectives

  • Compare thermal and membrane desalination and their applications
  • Operate multi stage flash and multi effect distillation plant
  • Operate reverse osmosis plant and interpret membrane performance
  • Design and run pretreatment that protects membrane life
  • Calculate heat balance, performance ratio and specific energy consumption
  • Control scaling, fouling and biofouling, and plan cleaning
  • Optimise operation against energy price and water demand

Who should attend

  • Desalination plant operators and engineers
  • Utilities and water treatment engineers
  • Process engineers in coastal industry
  • Maintenance staff on desalination plant
  • Municipal and industrial water managers

Course outline

  1. 01Thermal against membrane desalination
  2. 02Multi stage flash and multi effect distillation
  3. 03Reverse osmosis and membrane behaviour
  4. 04Pretreatment and membrane life
  5. 05Heat balance and performance ratio
  6. 06Specific energy consumption
  7. 07Scaling, fouling, biofouling and cleaning
  8. 08Start up, shutdown and optimisation

Scheduled sessions

Scheduled sessions for Desalination Plant Operation and Optimisation
DatesVenueFormatPriceRegister
2 to 6 November 2026OnlineOnlineR8,500 per delegate
16 to 20 November 2026Kigali, RwandaClassroomUSD 1,325 per delegate
30 November to 4 December 2026Kampala, UgandaClassroomUSD 1,325 per delegate
11 to 15 January 2027Durban, South AfricaClassroomR19,950 per delegate
22 to 26 February 2027Harare, ZimbabweClassroomUSD 1,325 per delegate

Desalination Plant Operation and Optimisation

From R8,500

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