Tianjin MED, China

What is it?

A 100,000m³/d MED plant, currently being expanded to 200,000m³/d, which produces distilled water for the Tianjin Power Plant, as well as for use by local residents.

Who is responsible?

IDE Technologies supplied a total of 8 MED units to China's State Development and Investment Corporation (SDIC).

What makes it special?

• The expansion makes Tianjin the largest thermal desalination plant in China, and among the largest MED plants in existence anywhere in the world.
• IDE’s keen awareness of the interplay between water and energy use was central to the plant’s construction and reduced environmental footprint. Circulating seawater as a coolant reduced the strain on local freshwater resources, while the use of waste heat from the power plant to drive the desalination process shows a new way forward for co-located power and seawater desalination units.
• Pure table salt is abstracted from the brine as a by-product, providing a shining example of enhanced sustainability through the reclamation of waste materials from the desalination process.