Latest News - DUGAS Project

Dubai Natural Gas Co. Ltd. (DUGAS) will build a waste water treatment plant for the treatment of effluent from their gas and the MTBE plant. Wehrle have received an order for the supply of the aeration system for the equalization tanks, the Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) and subsequent Reverse Osmosis (RO) treatment.  DUGAS will recycle the treated waste water and use it as demineralised water on site. The plant is designed for both maximum flexibility and maximum security.

Mr. Andrew Gregory, project engineer from DUGAS, and Dr. Miriam Weissroth from Wehrle´s Sales & Marketing Department are shown in the photo on the left.

At the State owned DUGAS, natural gas is being processed to produce mainly Propane and Butane, but also Methane. Furthermore MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether) is being produced, a fuel additive in motor gasoline which raises the octane number and helps to prevent 'knocking'.

There are three effluent streams from the plant: MBTE process effluent, MTBE neutralized effluent and gas plant process effluent. The three streams are combined before being treated. Main contaminants in the water are hydrocarbons, phenols, suspended solids and dissolved solids, a large proportion of which are monovalent ions.

Working together with DUGAS, Wehrle's engineers developed the design for the project. The aim was to reuse the water as demineralised water in the process. The complete concept now comprises an oily water separator, equalization tanks, a DAF unit, an oxidation unit followed by a MBR, and an RO, supplied by Wehrle. The Ultrafiltration (UF) Unit and the RO will be installed in one container together with the complete PLC and SCADA control system, which is housed in the dry section of the container. The plant will be erected in close cooperation with DUGAS' engineers who are responsible for the pre-treatment apart from the aeration of the equalization tanks, which also will be part of Wehrle´s scope of supply.

The order demonstrates the expert knowledge of Wehrle because of the high specification demanded by DUGAS. Not only has the plant to be able to treat hydraulic volumes ranging from 55-155 m³/d but also it has to be able to cope with a wide range of inlet parameters, especially with varying COD-concentrations (average ~ 1.200 mg/l to maximum 2.800 mg/l and, on a short term basis, far higher) and varying concentrations of salts. At the same time security and plant availability have to fulfil high standards.

Author: Dr. Miriam Weissroth

Please contact us for further information.