SUEZ and Salinity Solutions launch the first industrial pilot of Hybrid Batch Reverse Osmosis for municipal wastewater reuse in Béziers
- SUEZ and UK-based company Salinity Solutions announce the launch of the first Hybrid Batch Reverse Osmosis (HBRO) pilot dedicated to municipal wastewater reuse at the Béziers wastewater treatment plant in southern France.
- The pilot based on Salinity Solutions’ HyBatch™ technology and SUEZ’s expertise in wastewater treatment enables the recovery of 90% to 95% of treated water, while limiting the volumes of brine produced as well as the use of chemical reagents and energy consumption.
The Hybrid Batch Reverse Osmosis solution, a new benchmark for water reuse efficiency
Supported by ADEME, this first industrial pilot of the Hybrid Batch Reverse Osmosis solution, with a treatment capacity of 100 m³ per day, operates under real operating conditions at the Béziers wastewater treatment plant. It is based on HyBatch™ technology, a piston-driven pressure exchange process developed and patented by Salinity Solutions, which recycles the brine multiple times until the targeted recovery rate is achieved.
This approach increases treated water recovery to 90–95% (compared with up to 85% for conventional reverse osmosis systems), limits scaling in the processes, and reduces the frequency of chemical cleanings, thereby extending membrane lifespan. Thanks to significantly lower operating costs, HyBatch™ helps expand the use of reverse osmosis technology in both municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants.
Accelerating Sustainable Water Reuse
The development of large-scale, energy-efficient wastewater reuse solutions provides an answer to growing challenges linked to water scarcity, driven by disruption of the water cycle. The results of the Béziers pilot make Hybrid Batch Reverse Osmosis a promising technology for wastewater reuse, as well as for the treatment of surface and brackish water.
"This collaboration with SUEZ marks a major step towards transforming water reuse economics and sustainability. By proving that high recovery can be achieved reliably and efficiently, at a large scale, with increased energy efficiency, we aim to set a new benchmark for advanced wastewater treatment worldwide", added Richard Bruges, CEO, Salinity Solutions.