• SUEZ, a global leader in circular solutions for water and waste, and its partners CTCI Group and Hung Hua, are joining forces to design, build, and operate a large-scale municipal seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant in Hsinchu City. The contract, worth a total of approximately 508 million euros, encompasses a 15-year operation and maintenance commitment. Awarded by Taiwan’s Water Resources Agency, this pioneering project marks the first collaboration with a foreign desalination solutions provider and underscores the international recognition of SUEZ’s cutting-edge desalination technologies, its expertise in water management, and its commitment to preserving water resources.

Taiwan’s water supply mainly relies on reservoirs fed by rainfall. Climate change and extreme hydrological events have disrupted these patterns, posing a significant water security risk to the region. With the expansion of semiconductor factories in the Hsinchu Science Park, the demand for water is set to surge.

Designed to produce 100,000 cubic meters of quality drinking water per day, the Hsinchu SWRO desalination plant will enhance the stability of the water supply and alleviate water scarcity, benefiting around 1.6 million inhabitants and the semiconductor manufacturing industry in Hsinchu City. Construction is scheduled to begin in July 2024 and is expected to be completed by 2028.

By implementing a compact design, energy-efficient solutions for the treatment process1, and the installation of solar panels, the project will save construction space, minimise material consumption and carbon footprint. In addition, the use of the pigging system for offshore pipe cleaning will help reduce the treatments required and generate less wastewater.

Kuo-Long Tsai, Senior Vice President of CTCI Group, commented: “Ensuring a stable and safe water supply remains Taiwan’s top priority for building up a better ecosystem of AI industry. CTCI Group, with its plentiful experiences in EPC projects and operations, is honored to partner with international water treatment leader, SUEZ, and esteemed domestic marine contractor, Hung Hua Construction. Together, we will construct Taiwan’s first large-scale public seawater desalination plant with a capacity of 100,000 cubic meters per day. This facility is designed to not only provide essential water supply but also promote sustainable development. We are committed to professionalism, integrity, teamwork, and innovation, and we look forward to the successful realization of this significant project.”

Chung Pang Chen, General Manager of Hung Hua Construction, said: “The Hsinchu seawater desalination plant is a pioneering large-scale desalination project in Taiwan, capable of producing 10 tonnes of desalinated water per day. With more than 40 years of experience in maritime engineering, Hung Hua is proud to be in charge of the maritime engineering of the intake and outfall seawater system construction in this project.”

“The Hsinchu seawater desalination plant is an example of our commitment to providing access to water services through cutting-edge technologies. It also sets a new benchmark for international cooperation in Taiwan’s water sector. Together with our local partners CTCI Group, and Hung Hua, we’re committed to contributing to the region’s water security while supporting its economic development” Sabrina Soussan , Chairman and CEO of SUEZ.

SUEZ boasts 50 years of expertise in seawater desalination, highlighted by the construction of one of the world’s largest SWRO desalination plants in Australia — the Victorian Desalination Plant, and of the Perth desalination plant. Operational since 2006, the Perth plant supplies over 45 billion litres of clean drinking water annually to more than two million people.

In mainland China, SUEZ is building a 100 million litres per day SWRO desalination plant in Shandong. This is SUEZ’s largest seawater desalination project in the industrial sector. It is designed to use seawater as a complementary water source for the Wanhua Chemical Group industrial complex. It will save more than 36 million cubic meters of freshwater per year, equivalent to the volume of 14,400 Olympic-sized swimming pools.