Water everywhere – but not a drop to drink

Monday, 24 August 2015

There is no ground water in the Seychelles islands in the Indian Ocean, and since many of the islands rely on tourism, large quantities of water have to be provided.

This job is done by APP pumps from Danfoss High Pressure Pumps (HPP). The Danfoss pumps are integrated into desalination systems, which are based on reverse osmosis – a filtering method, which transforms the salty seawater into clean drinking water and tap water under high pressure.

One of the most recent systems delivered to the Seychelles to run with Danfoss pumps, is on the islands of Praslin and La Digue, and produces 1,400m³ and 900m³ of water, respectively, in 24 hours. The Danfoss pumps are used in BWT-HOH's systems, a Danish company which has supplied a wide range of large and small systems to the Seychelles.

"We have a good and long-standing cooperation with BWT. They have favorable contacts with the utility PUC in the Seychelles, among others, which has also meant that we have been visited by the service staff from the islands who do the system maintenance. It is significant to be in direct contact with the end-users," says Jan Kastbjerg-Norup, External Sales Manager, High Pressure Pumps. 

The stainless steel pumps from Danfoss are part of a complete system. The pumps build up water pressure and the water is sent through a series of membranes, which removes the salt and minerals. The end product is 100 percent clean, demineralized water, which is then additionally treated: minerals are added so that it can be used as drinking water. A reverse osmosis system is typically built into a container, which is easy to move to where it is going to be used, such as the Seychelles. 

All HPP pumps are produced in Nordborg, Denmark. They are high-quality and are the most efficient on the market. Also, the pumps are oil-free, which means there is no risk of polluting either the water or the surrounding environment. 

"But, despite the fact that you pay more for the pump, it is not more expensive than other pumps, when you take the total costs during the product's lifetime into account. Normally, the extra money is paid back over 12 months just through energy savings," says Jan Kastbjerg-Norup. 

Danfoss High Pressure Pumps also supplies products for air moistening, gas turbines, fire- extinguishing equipment, and the offshore industry. 

HPP has produced APP salt-water pumps since 2000, and sees demand continuously rising.

Facts:

  • The islands total 92,000 inhabitants 
  • Total area: 459 km2
  • Day temperature throughout the year: 25-27º Celsius
  • Main source of income: Tourism, which employs 30 percent of the inhabitants on the Seychelles islands

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