Project Case Study | 24 t/h Seawater Desalination System for an Offshore Wind Power Platform in the South China Sea

Project Case Study | 24 t/h Seawater Desalination System for an Offshore Wind Power Platform in the South China Sea

Project Contractor: Dongguan Jingchuang Environmental Protection Equipment Co., Ltd.
Project Location: Offshore Wind Power Platform, South China Sea
Equipment Specifications: 24 t/h Skid-Mounted Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) Desalination System
Application: Potable water for platform operations and maintenance (O&M) personnel, equipment cleaning, and general utility water supply.

Project Background

Located far from the mainland, the offshore wind power platform in the South China Sea faces significant challenges regarding freshwater supply. Relying on supply vessels is costly and often constrained by sea conditions (waves and swells) as well as shipping schedules. The harsh offshore environment—characterized by high salinity, heavy moisture, intense motion/vibration, limited space, and strict load-bearing constraints—demands equipment with exceptional corrosion resistance, vibration tolerance, high levels of automation, and superior reliability. The client commissioned Jingchuang Environmental Protection to design a custom 24 t/h skid-mounted seawater desalination system. By processing seawater on-site into high-quality fresh water, the platform eliminates its dependence on mainland water supplies, ensuring a consistent and reliable water source for ongoing operations. Process Scheme

The system utilizes a proven process—seawater pretreatment, reverse osmosis (RO) desalination, and post-treatment—integrated with an energy recovery device to minimize operational energy consumption:

1. Pretreatment Unit: Includes seawater intake, self-cleaning filters, and an ultrafiltration (UF) system to remove silt, algae, colloids, and marine microorganisms. This protects the seawater RO membranes and ensures resilience against fluctuations in South China Sea water quality.

2. Seawater RO Main System: Employs fouling-resistant RO membranes. High-pressure pumps, piping, and valves are constructed from marine-grade, corrosion-resistant materials to withstand the salt-spray-heavy offshore environment. An energy recovery device is incorporated to significantly reduce energy consumption.

3. Control and Protection: Features a fully automated PLC system with remote monitoring capabilities. Includes high/low-pressure protection, low-water-level protection, brine discharge management, automatic flushing, and scheduled membrane preservation. Remote access to operational data and fault alarms enables "minimal-manning" (or unmanned) operation on the platform.

4. Post-treatment: Involves water quality adjustment and disinfection, ensuring the treated water meets standards for domestic use and equipment rinsing on offshore platforms.

Project Challenges and Design Highlights

✅ Skid-Mounted Integration for Deck Installation: The system is modular and skid-mounted with a compact layout, minimizing on-site installation work. It is designed to fit the limited space on platform decks and meets requirements for offshore lifting and vibration-resistant securing.
✅ Comprehensive Marine-Grade Corrosion Resistance: Fluid-contact components are made of duplex stainless steel or other specialized corrosion-resistant materials, while the frame features an anti-corrosive coating to withstand the high-salinity, corrosive environment of the South China Sea.
✅ Energy-Efficient Design with Energy Recovery: Equipped with a seawater desalination energy recovery device, the system lowers energy consumption per ton of water produced—aligning perfectly with the clean energy advantages of wind power platforms.
✅ High-Reliability Redundant Protection: Critical components feature built-in protective logic and automated periodic flushing to prevent biofouling on membrane surfaces. Remote operation and maintenance support reduce the need for personnel to travel offshore for servicing.
✅ Stable Operation Across Varied Conditions: Designed to adapt to tidal fluctuations, seawater temperature changes, and salinity variations in the South China Sea, ensuring continuous, stable water production 24 hours a day. Project Outcomes

Following on-site commissioning, the system delivers a stable output of 24 tons of fresh water per hour, with a desalination rate that consistently meets required standards. The produced fresh water is supplied directly to offshore wind farm platform operations and maintenance (O&M) teams for domestic use, equipment rinsing, and cleaning purposes.

- Eliminates the need for water supply vessels, significantly reducing operational costs and removing dependencies on sea conditions or shipping schedules.

- Features automated operation, allowing for simple on-site management by platform personnel, supported by remote monitoring for convenient O&M.

- Engineered to withstand salt spray and mechanical vibration, the equipment is well-suited for the harsh marine environment of the South China Sea, ensuring a long-term, reliable water supply for the wind power project.

Case Summary

This 24-ton-per-hour seawater desalination project for an offshore wind platform serves as a prime example of the marine-grade desalination solutions offered by Jingchuang Environmental Protection. The system—a skid-mounted, corrosion-resistant unit with remote monitoring capabilities—was custom-engineered for the unique, demanding conditions of offshore platforms. It provides an on-site water production solution tailored for offshore wind farms, marine platforms, and island-based projects. Jingchuang Environmental Protection offers customized, marine-grade desalination equipment designed to meet specific water production requirements across diverse maritime regions, serving sectors such as offshore wind power, marine engineering, and island resorts.