Modification of the selective desalination plant on Langeoog

Four partners from the innovatION joint project met at the Oldenburgisch-Ostfriesische Wasserverband (OOWV) waterworks to modify the monovalent ion-selective desalination plant. Here, the pilot plant for selective desalination has been in operation since september 2023. The modification of the plant has now doubled the desalination capacity. Based on the experience gained with the laboratory test plant with different selective ion exchange membranes at TU Dresden, FUMATECH BWT GmbH has now produced membranes on a large scale for the first time for the preferential removal of monovalent ions. Thanks to the selective properties of the membranes and the innovative control system from elkoplan staiger GmbH, mainly sodium and chloride are to be removed from saline groundwater on Langeoog using a pulse-like electrical voltage. In addition to the selective desalination performance, work is now also underway to improve energy efficiency and product yield. Sören Sommer and Yannick Tiemann from OOWV and Laura Bräunig from the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg are investigating whether the German research team's innovation is suitable for drinking water production or for infiltration to stabilize the groundwater balance in the future.