The Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board has selected VA Tech Wabag, a Chennai-based water technology company, to construct 400 million litres per day (mld) desalination plant. The project, estimated to cost around INR 4,400 crore, will utilise reverse osmosis technology and follow a design, build and operate model. The proposed location for the plant is Perur village along the East Coast Road. VA Tech Wabag will execute the project in partnership with Metito Overseas and upon completion it will be the largest desalination plant in Southeast Asia.
The desalination plant venture aims to enhance Chennai’s water security by providing a reliable source of drinking water. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) will financially support the project. Once operational, Chennai will have the capacity to treat approximately 750 mld of desalinated water. Tamil Nadu has been at the forefront of utilising desalination technology to ensure access to potable water and achieve water security. The state already operates two fully functional desalination plants near Chennai — Minjur and Nemmeli.
The Minjur desalination plant, spanning across 60 acres in Katupalli village, North Chennai, has a capacity of 100 mld. Besides providing clean drinking water to over half a million residents, the Minjur plant caters to industrial requirements such as the Ennore Port Trust and the North Chennai thermal power plant. The plant employs reverse osmosis (RO) technology, and the treated water is transported via a 33 km pipeline from Minjur to Red Hills.
Nemmeli, Chennai’s second desalination plant located along the East Coast Road, has been operational since 2013. With a daily capacity to treat 100 mld of seawater, the plant is owned by Chennai Metrowater and was constructed by VA Tech Wabag in collaboration with IDE Technologies from Israel and Larsen and Toubro (L&T). A 65 km long pipeline connects the Nemmeli plant to various parts of the city, featuring underground sumps along the route.
Furthermore, a third desalination plant is currently under construction at Nemmeli and expected to be operational by the end of 2023. This plant will have the capability to treat 150 mld of seawater daily. Additionally, a 49 km long pipeline is being laid to supply treated water from the upcoming plant to approximately nine lakh residents in areas such as Madipakkam, Velachery, Alandur, Medavakkam, Nanmangalam, St. Thomas Mount and the IT corridor.
