Scientists have developed a new solar-powered system to convert saltwater into fresh drinking water which they say could help reduce dangerous the risk of waterborne diseases like cholera.
Via tests in rural communities, they showed that the process is more than 20% cheaper than traditional methods and can be deployed in rural locations around the globe.
Building on existing processes that convert saline groundwater to freshwater, the researchers from King’s College London, in collaboration with MIT and the Helmholtz Institute for Renewable Energy Systems, created a new system that produced consistent levels of water using solar power, and reported it in a paper published recently in Nature Water.
It works through a process called electrodialysis which separates the salt using a set of specialized membranes that channel salt ions into a stream of brine, leaving the water fresh and drinkable. By flexibly adjusting the voltage and the rate at which salt water flowed through the system, the researchers developed a system that adjusts to variable sunshine while not compromising on the amount of fresh drinking water produced.
Using data first gathered in the village of Chelleru near Hyderabad in India, and then recreating these conditions of the village in New Mexico, the team successfully converted up to 10 cubic meters, or several bathtubs worth of fresh drinking water. This was enough for 3,000 people a day with the process continuing to run regardless of variable solar power caused by cloud coverage and rain.
[Note: Not sure what metric they're using to calculate daily water needs here. Presumably this is drinking water only.]
Dr. Wei He from the Department of Engineering at King’s College London believes the new technology could bring massive benefits to rural communities, not only increasing the supply of drinking water but also bringing health benefits.
“By offering a cheap, eco-friendly alternative that can be operated off the grid, our technology enables communities to tap into alternative water sources (such as deep aquifers or saline water) to address water scarcity and contamination in traditional water supplies,” said He.
“This technology can expand water sources available to communities beyond traditional ones and by providing water from uncontaminated saline sources, may help combat water scarcity or unexpected emergencies when conventional water supplies are disrupted, for example like the recent cholera outbreaks in Zambia.”
In the global rural population, 1.6 billion people face water scarcity, many of whom are reliant on stressed reserves of groundwater lying beneath the Earth’s surface.
However, worldwide 56% of groundwater is saline and unsuitable for consumption. This issue is particularly prevalent in India, where 60% of the land harbors undrinkable saline water. Consequently, there is a pressing need for efficient desalination methods to create fresh drinking water cheaply, and at scale.
Traditional desalination technology has relied either on costly batteries in off-grid systems or a grid system to supply the energy necessary to remove salt from the water. In developing countries’ rural areas, however, grid infrastructure can be unreliable and is largely reliant on fossil fuels...
“By removing the need for a grid system entirely and cutting reliance on battery tech by 92%, our system can provide reliable access to safe drinking water, entirely emission-free, onsite, and at a discount of roughly 22% to the people who need it compared to traditional methods,” He said.
The system also has the potential to be used outside of developing areas, particularly in agriculture where climate change is leading to unstable reserves of fresh water for irrigation.
The team plans to scale up the availability of the technology across India through collaboration with local partners. Beyond this, a team from MIT also plans to create a start-up to commercialize and fund the technology.
“While the US and UK have more stable, diversified grids than most countries, they still rely on fossil fuels. By removing fossil fuels from the equation for energy-hungry sectors like agriculture, we can help accelerate the transition to Net Zero,” He said.
-via Good News Network, April 2, 2024
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Scientists have developed a new solar-powered system to convert saltwater into fresh drinking water which they say could help reduce dangerous the risk of waterborne diseases like cholera.
Via tests in rural communities, they showed that the process is more than 20% cheaper than traditional methods and can be deployed in rural locations around the globe.
Building on existing processes that convert saline groundwater to freshwater, the researchers from King’s College London, in collaboration with MIT and the Helmholtz Institute for Renewable Energy Systems, created a new system that produced consistent levels of water using solar power, and reported it in a paper published recently in Nature Water
It works through a process called electrodialysis which separates the salt using a set of specialized membranes that channel salt ions into a stream of brine, leaving the water fresh and drinkable. By flexibly adjusting the voltage and the rate at which salt water flowed through the system, the researchers developed a system that adjusts to variable sunshine while not compromising on the amount of fresh drinking water produced.
Using data first gathered in the village of Chelleru near Hyderabad in India, and then recreating these conditions of the village in New Mexico, the team successfully converted up to 10 cubic meters, or several bathtubs worth of fresh drinking water. This was enough for 3,000 people a day with the process continuing to run regardless of variable solar power caused by cloud coverage and rain.
Dr. Wei He from the Department of Engineering at King’s College London believes the new technology could bring massive benefits to rural communities, not only increasing the supply of drinking water but also bringing health benefits.
“By offering a cheap, eco-friendly alternative that can be operated off the grid, our technology enables communities to tap into alternative water sources (such as deep aquifers or saline water) to address water scarcity and contamination in traditional water supplies,” said He.
“This technology can expand water sources available to communities beyond traditional ones and by providing water from uncontaminated saline sources, may help combat water scarcity or unexpected emergencies when conventional water supplies are disrupted, for example like the recent cholera outbreaks in Zambia.”
In the global rural population, 1.6 billion people face water scarcity, many of whom are reliant on stressed reserves of groundwater lying beneath the Earth’s surface.
However, worldwide 56% of groundwater is saline and unsuitable for consumption. This issue is particularly prevalent in India, where 60% of the land harbors undrinkable saline water. Consequently, there is a pressing need for efficient desalination methods to create fresh drinking water cheaply, and at scale.
Traditional desalination technology has relied either on costly batteries in off-grid systems or a grid system to supply the energy necessary to remove salt from the water. In developing countries’ rural areas, however, grid infrastructure can be unreliable and is largely reliant on fossil fuels.
Creating a low-cost ‘battery-like’ desalination technology removes the reliance on battery technology for using intermittent solar energy in off-grid applications, enabling affordability to rural communities in developing countries like India.
“By removing the need for a grid system entirely and cutting reliance on battery tech by 92%, our system can provide reliable access to safe drinking water, entirely emission-free, onsite, and at a discount of roughly 22% to the people who need it compared to traditional methods,” He said.
The system also has the potential to be used outside of developing areas, particularly in agriculture where climate change is leading to unstable reserves of fresh water for irrigation.
The team plans to scale up the availability of the technology across India through collaboration with local partners. Beyond this, a team from MIT also plans to create a start-up to commercialize and fund the technology.
“While the US and UK have more stable, diversified grids than most countries, they still rely on fossil fuels. By removing fossil fuels from the equation for energy-hungry sectors like agriculture, we can help accelerate the transition to Net Zero,” He said.
“The next step for us is to apply this low-cost technology to other sectors, including wastewater treatment, and producing alkaline to make the ocean more alkaline to help it absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere. By taking this approach not only can we decarbonize agriculture, but wider environmental and climate benefits as well.”
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Top EPC Companies | EPC Contractor In India Updated 2024
EPC, which stands for Engineering, Procurement, and Construction, represents a key contracting approach within the construction industry. In this model, the contractor is responsible for completing the detailed engineering design, procuring the necessary equipment and materials, and constructing the project to deliver a fully operational facility or asset to the client. Companies that undertake such projects are referred to as EPC contractors.
The Indian EPC sector has seen significant growth, with over 180 participants and various stakeholders actively contributing to the industry. Many companies have established strong reputations within specific sectors, while some have expanded their operations into other areas, creating a distinct segmentation within the EPC space based on operational focus.
Below is a compiled list of top EPC companies operating in India, including both domestic and foreign firms. These companies operate across major cities like Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and others.
Segment-wise Classification of EPC Companies
1. Infrastructure / General Contracting
2. Building Construction — Residential and Commercial
3. Oil & Gas EPC
4. Power EPC: General Power, Power Transmission, and Solar Power
5. Specialized EPC: Marine, Industrial, Railways, Tunneling, Mining
Infrastructure / General Contracting EPC Companies
- Indian Companies :
Larsen & Toubro Limited, Hindustan Construction Co. Ltd., Gammon India, MECON Limited, IVRCL, Patel Engineering Ltd., Era Infra Engineering, Sadbhav Engineering Limited, Nagarjuna Construction Company Ltd., Kalpataru Projects International Limited
- Foreign Companies :
Isolux Corsan, ITD Cementation India Limited, Samsung Engineering India Pvt Ltd, Linde Engineering India Pvt. Ltd., TechnipFMC plc, McDermott International, Inc., Saipem, KBR Inc., Chemie-Tech, Jakson, WorleyParsons, IJM (India) Infrastructure Limited, Leighton, ACS Construction Group Ltd., Vinci Construction
Building Construction — Residential and Commercial Segments
- Indian Companies :
Larsen & Toubro Limited, Shapoorji Pallonji & Co. Ltd., Ahluwalia Contracts Ltd., L. Kashyap and Sons, G. Shirke Construction, B.E. Billimoria, Consolidated Construction Consortium Ltd., Mackintosh Burn Ltd., Man Infraconstruction Limited, Nyati Group, Supreme Infrastructure India Ltd., Unity Infra Projects, Vascon Engineers Ltd., Kalpataru Projects International Limited
- Foreign Companies :
Arabian Construction Company, Leighton, Samsung Engineering
Oil & Gas EPC Companies
- Indian Companies :
L&T Ltd., Punj Lloyd, Petron Engineering, Essar Projects, Mcnally Bharat, Leighton, Engineers India Limited, Fabtech Projects, Jaihind Project Ltd., Kalpataru Projects International Limited
- Foreign Companies :
Aker Solutions, Leighton Welspun Contractors Pvt. Ltd., Bechtel Corporation, Linde Engineering India Pvt. Ltd., Tecnimont ICB, Samsung Engineering, Uhde India Limited
Power & Transmission EPC Companies
- Power EPC (Indian Companies) :
BHEL, L&T, Tata Projects Ltd, BGR Energy, Gammon India, Gayatri Projects, Mcnally Bharat Engineering, Shriram EPC Ltd, Tecpro Systems, Kalpataru Projects International Limited
- Power Transmission EPC (Indian Companies) :
EMC Ltd., Jyoti Structures Ltd., Hydropower Transmission Ltd., GET Power, KEC International, JMC Projects, Techno Electric and Engineering, Unitech Transmission
- Foreign Companies :
Doosan Power Systems, Dongfang Electric Corporation, Harbin Power Engineering Co. Ltd., KEPCO, ThyssenKrupp Industries India, Alstom T&D Limited, Alstom Projects India Limited, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Toshiba Thermal and Hydro Power Systems Company, Ansaldo STS, Babcock & Wilcox
Solar EPC Companies
- Sterling and Wilson, Loom Solar, Tata Power Solar, Mahindra Susten, Sunsure Energy, Fourth Partner Energy, Suryaday, Orb Energy, Vikram Solar, Renew Power, SB Energy, CleanMax Solar, Harsha-Abakus Solar, RelyOn Solar, MySun Solar, Ujaas Energy, Amplus Energy Solutions, Kalpataru Projects International Limited
Specialized EPC Companies
- Indian Companies :
Shriram EPC, Coastal Projects, Navayuga Engineering Company Ltd., Hindustan Construction Co. Ltd., Patel Engineering Ltd., Afcons Infrastructure Ltd., Simplex Infrastructure Ltd., McNally Bharat Engineering Co. Ltd., Petron Engineering Construction Ltd., Kalindee Rail Nirman Construction Ltd., AMR Construction Ltd., Kalpataru Projects International Limited
- Foreign Companies :
ABB India Ltd., Uhde India Ltd., Toyo Engineering India Ltd., Continental Engineering Corporation, Marti India Private Ltd., AG Group, Samsung Engineering, ITD Cementation India Ltd
Conclusion
EPC companies in India are instrumental in driving the country’s infrastructure growth, delivering projects across various sectors such as oil and gas, power, telecommunications, and more. Both public and private sector firms have been involved in numerous high-impact projects. Renowned for their technical expertise and project management skills, these firms are central to India’s economic development.
Notably, companies like Larsen & Toubro, Tata Projects, and Reliance Infrastructure stand out for their extensive portfolios in executing complex projects both domestically and internationally. The use of cutting-edge technologies, a focus on sustainability, and an emphasis on efficiency are trends shaping the future of the EPC industry, ensuring its continued growth.
FAQs
1. Who is the top contractor in India?
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) is widely recognized as the leading contractor in India, known for its expertise in handling large-scale infrastructure projects.
2. Which is the top global EPC company?
Bechtel is considered one of the best EPC companies globally due to its experience in various sectors like energy, oil and gas, and infrastructure.
3. Which is the top infrastructure company in India?
Reliance Infrastructure holds a leading position in India, contributing significantly to sectors such as power, roads, and metro rail.
4. How are EPC contractors selected?
EPC contractors are chosen based on their technical capabilities, financial stability, project management experience, and adherence to safety and environmental standards.
5. What are the future trends in the EPC industry?
Key trends include the integration of digital technologies such as BIM and IoT, an increased focus on sustainability, and the use of modular and prefabricated construction techniques.
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