Contract for EPDM Rubber Expansion Bellow for the Saudi Yanbu Desalination Project
In 2014, Shanghai Songjiang Vibration Absorber Co.,Ltd. supplied EPDM rubber expansion bellow for the Saudi Yanbu Desalination Project. These acid and alkali-resistant rubber expansion bellow, produced by Songjiang Group, are primarily designed to withstand seawater. Additionally, our company also provided seawater-resistant rubber expansion bellow for the Caofeidian Port Desalination Project.
Introduction to the Saudi Desalination Project:
Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest producer of desalinated water, with 50% of its water supply coming from the desalination industry. The country has over 30 desalination plants and plans to construct approximately 20 more between 2006 and 2016, with an expected annual investment exceeding $5 billion from 2005 to 2015. The desalination technology in Saudi Arabia mainly relies on thermal methods. Although many environmental experts are actively developing solar desalination technology, the government currently relies on oil and natural gas as the primary energy sources for this industry.
In the coming years, Saudi Arabia plans to invest $170 billion in the energy sector to encourage private enterprises to enter the industry and meet the nation’s water and electricity needs. Of this, $90 billion will come from Saudi Aramco, primarily for investments in oil production.
Saudi Arabia’s first large-scale renewable energy desalination plant is a joint venture between IBM and the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). Located in Al Khafji in the northeast of the country, the plant will use Ultra High Concentration Photovoltaic (UHCPV) technology to provide 30,000 cubic meters of potable water daily for 100,000 people. This joint venture aims to enhance the quality of polymer membranes using nanofilm purification technology, thereby improving desalination efficiency and reducing costs.
Additionally, the world’s largest operating desalination plant is located in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, the Ras Al-Khair desalination plant, which supplies 800,000 cubic meters of water daily to the capital, Riyadh. The equipment orders for this plant were fulfilled by South Korea’s Doosan Heavy Industries. The company also secured a $1.46 billion order from the Saudi Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) for the Ras Azzour desalination plant, which will have a daily capacity of 1.0365 million cubic meters. Once completed, it will become the world’s largest desalination plant, comprising a 727,000 cubic meters per day hybrid desalination plant and a 307,000 cubic meters per day reverse osmosis plant. This facility will supply water to the Riyadh area in the Gulf, serving 3.5 million people.
The project faced delays due to the withdrawal of a recommended consortium during the economic crisis. Eventually, the project was taken over by Doosan Heavy Industries, which will handle the design, manufacture, installation, and construction processes. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2014. By June 2013, 75% of the project had been completed, with partial production starting in the third quarter of 2013. The plant will also include an attached 2400 MW thermal power plant.
Introduction to EPDM Rubber Expansion Bellow for the Saudi Yanbu Desalination Project:
（1） Economic Efficiency
Space and Weight Efficiency:
Rubber joints occupy less space, are lighter in weight, easy to install and dismantle, saving labor and reducing costs compared to mechanical expansion joints and packing dampers.
Cost-Effectiveness:
For the same limit capacity, there is no need to increase pump and pipe diameters. The smooth inner wall of rubber joints reduces fluid resistance and prevents damage to the pipe fittings.
Good Water Tightness:
Excellent water tightness eliminates the need for additional gaskets during installation.
Wide Range of Applications:
EPDM rubber formulation provides the product with various properties such as heat resistance, corrosion resistance, aging resistance, and ozone resistance.
Wide Temperature Range:
EPDM rubber allows the product to operate within a wide temperature range, up to 120 degrees Celsius.
（2）Displacement Flexibility
Excellent Elasticity:
The product shows good adaptability to compression, tension, twisting, and offset vertical displacement, preventing damage to the piping system caused by thermal expansion, contraction deformation, or uneven foundation settlement.
（3）Vibration and Noise Reduction
High Damping Properties:
The rubber material of the sphere has high damping, effectively cushioning vibrations, suppressing, and reducing mechanical vibrations, and absorbing fluid impact noise.
Noise Isolation:
Proper installation between vibrating machinery and metal pipes can reduce structural noise transmission.
（4）Pressure Resistance
Multi-Layer Structure:
The multi-layer sphere structure is especially suitable for withstanding internal pressure, with high burst resistance and good impact resistance, and it does not deform under external pressure.
Operating Pressures:
The working pressures are 0.6MPa, 1.0MPa, and 1.6MPa.
（5） Rubber Joint Elasticity
Restorative Properties:
After being compressed, the product can return to its original state once the external force is removed.
The information is sourced from the official website of Shanghai Songjiang Vibration Absorber Co.,Ltd. For further product information, you can click on the case inquiry or visit our factory for inspection:Shuangdian Town Industrial Park, Nantong City, Jiangsu Province,China. You can also contact our service hotline at 86+021-33666667.
