SUEZ and UK-based Salinity Solutions have started operating the first industrial pilot of Hybrid Batch Reverse Osmosis (HBRO) applied to municipal wastewater reuse. The unit is installed at the Béziers wastewater treatment plant in southern France.
The pilot combines Salinity Solutions' HyBatch™ technology with SUEZ's wastewater treatment know-how. According to the two companies, the system can recover between 90% and 95% of treated water while reducing the volume of brine produced, the quantity of chemical reagents required, and overall energy consumption.
The pilot, supported by ADEME (Agence de la transition écologique – Agency for Ecological Transition), has a treatment capacity of 100 m³ per day and runs under real operating conditions. HyBatch™ is a piston-driven pressure exchange process developed and patented by Salinity Solutions. It recirculates the brine several times until the targeted recovery rate is reached.
By comparison, conventional reverse osmosis systems typically achieve recovery rates of up to 85%. The companies state that the higher recovery rate also limits scaling within the process and reduces the frequency of chemical cleaning cycles, which can extend membrane lifespan. Lower operating costs may make reverse osmosis more accessible for both municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants.
The companies indicate that the development of large-scale, energy-efficient wastewater reuse solutions is intended to address increasing pressure on water resources linked to disruptions in the water cycle. They consider the Béziers pilot results relevant not only for wastewater reuse but also for the treatment of surface water and brackish water.
