Energy Recovery Inc Primes the Pump for Massive Energy Savings at Mega-Desalination Plants in Spain

First Large-Scale Implementation of PX-300 Energy Recovery Devices with Quadribaric(TM) Technology; ERI Continues to Help Alleviate Spain's Clean Water Scarcity

SAN LEANDRO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Energy Recovery Inc (NASDAQ:ERII), a leader in the design and development of energy recovery devices for desalination, today announced that its PX(TM) Pressure Exchanger(TM) (PX) devices will be implemented at two new seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plants currently under construction along the Mediterranean coast of Spain. The Moncofa desalination plant and Oropesa desalination plant, combined, will provide approximately 80,000 cubic meters (21 million gallons) of fresh water per day to the coastal region. ACUAMED, Spain's Ministry of the Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs, is the owner and end-user of both plants.

The UTE Oropesa desalination plant is being built in Castellon, Spain, and is the first mega-scale desalination plant to utilize PX-300 devices with built-in Quadribaric technology offered by ERI. The modular, standardized design of the PX-300 device provides optimal performance and energy savings to the world's largest desalination plants. The consortium of Tecnicas Reunidas S.A., Torrescamara y Compania de Obras S.A., Assignia Infraestructuras S.A. and Ionics, S.A.U. are serving as technology and building partners on the UTE Oropesa plant, which will produce roughly 50,000 cubic meters of fresh water per day, providing more than 13 million gallons daily to more than 150,000 residents of Castellon. Once running, the Oropesa facility will save an estimated 906 kW of energy and offset approximately 4,677 tons of CO₂ annually using the PX-300 devices.

"Energy Recovery has been changing the economics and environmental viability of seawater reverse osmosis desalination for years--including throughout Spain and the Mediterranean--helping to bring affordable clean water to regions in desperate need," said Borja Blanco, senior vice president of Energy Recovery Inc. "The PX-300 devices, specifically, will be hugely beneficial to a desalination plant of Oropesa's scale, delivering a highly efficient solution and premium performance that massive facilities require to deliver fresh water to thousands of people."

The consortium of OHL Medio Ambiente INIMA, FACSA, RENOS and ISOLUX CORSAN are serving as technology and building partners on the UTE Moncofa desalination plant. As part of its phase-one deployment, the facility will produce an estimated 30,000 cubic meters of fresh water per day, providing nearly 8 million gallons daily to 140,000 residents. Ultimately, the facility will produce up to 60,000 cubic meters (more than 15 million gallons) of fresh water per day. It will save an estimated 1,098 kW of energy and offset more than 5,673 tons of CO₂ annually using ERI's PX energy recovery devices. ERI has partnered with Inima on other desalination plants, including the Los Cabos plant and the Mostaganem plant in Algeria, among others.

ERI has a long-standing presence in Spain, supplying its energy-saving technology to some of the largest desalination plants in the country such as the Tordera and Barcelona facilities, the Torrevieja facility in Alicante, and several others. In total, ERI is helping produce approximately 700,000 cubic meters (185 million gallons) of fresh water per day across Spain.

ERI's PX devices operate at up to 98 percent efficiency and reduce the energy consumption of SWRO systems by up to 60 percent, making desalination a cost-effective solution for clean water supply. PX devices also reduce the carbon footprint of desalination, saving more than 970 MW of energy and reducing CO₂ emissions by more than 5.2 million tons per year worldwide. More than 8,600 PX devices are currently deployed or under contract to be installed at desalination plants around the globe. For more information about Energy Recovery's PX Pressure Exchanger technology, visit http://www.energyrecovery.com or send an email to info@energyrecovery.com.

About Energy Recovery Inc

Energy Recovery Inc (NASDAQ:ERII) designs and develops energy recovery devices that help make desalination affordable by significantly reducing energy consumption. Energy Recovery technologies include the PX Pressure Exchanger (PX) device for desalination and the Turbocharger hydraulic turbine energy recovery device and pumps for desalination, gas and liquid processing applications. The company is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area with offices in Detroit and worldwide, including Madrid, Shanghai and the United Arab Emirates. For more information about Energy Recovery Inc, please visit www.energyrecovery.com.

    Source: Energy Recovery Inc

Released December 1, 2010