Biggest desalination plant in VisMin opens at SRP

CEBU, Philippines - Pilipinas Water Resources, Inc. (PWRI), in partnership with Mactan Rock Industries Inc. (MRII), opened the biggest water desalination plant in Visayas and Mindanao at the South Road Properties (SRP) to supply water to the industry and commercial locators at the zone.

The plant, which will initially supply 22,000 cubic meters a day, will use the desalination technology to covert seawater and brackish water to potable, while a treatment facility is also installed to make use of waste water for different purposes such as flushing, irrigation, and washing, among others.

PWRI and MRII have signed a 30-year joint venture agreement with the Cebu City government for the establishment of the facility, renewable in 30 years, said MRII chairman Antonio Tompar.

Both companies have invested P750 million for the establishment of the water facility, offering SRP locators with lower rate of desalinated water, which is initially pegged at P47 to P49 per cubic meter.

This rate, according to PWRI president William Mazerin, is considered one of the lowest in the Philippines given to corporate and commercial clients using the desalination technology.

“Desalination is proven to be reliable and sustainable. Most major industries across the country are using this technology, may it be sourced from brackish water or seawater. Besides, commercial and industrial entities can afford to pay desalinated (water),” Tompar said.

Desalination is the process of removing salinity (dissolved salts) from a salt water source, or brackish water.

According to Tompar, the SRP plant can supply as much as 50 thousand cubic meters per day, depending on the demand. At present, though, the plant can supply a volume of 22 thousand cubic meters a day.

About 30 percent of the total usage of locators inside SRP will be treated, and this will be used for other purposes, Tompar said.

The Cebu City government has allocated a 6,500 square-meter lot where both PWRI and MRII could operate the facility.

MRII is providing water technology solutions to close to 400 industries around the country. It is the first company in Asia that introduced the desalination process.

In 2005, the company installed a P15 million desalination plant at the Mactan Export Zone (MEZ) to save the water shortage supply in the two large economic zones in Cebu.

PWRI, on the other hand, is a bulk water provider, majority-owned by the Lhuillier Group of Companies.

In this partnership, MRII will operate the plant, while PWRI will take care of the water supply process to SRP locators.

Initially, the PWRI will supply a 150-cubic meter per day potable water to Filinvest Land Corporation, which is one of the largest locators at the SRP. /JMD (FREEMAN)