Filtralite® Pressure Filters at Beckton (UK) For Pretreatment Prior to Desalination
Filtralite® Pure is highly effective in the fixed bed water treatment process for raw water that contains ammonia, manganese, iron, and other contaminants. Compared to other filtration media, Filtralite® offers significantly greater porosity, which provides a larger specific area for biofilm growth. Additionally, it features a high number of macropores, a lighter density, and impressive resistance to abrasion. Existing biological Filtralite filters can operate at a flow rate of up to 30 m/h.
Project Overview
The Thames Gateway Water Treatment Plant in Beckton (near London) is the UK’s first large-scale desalination facility, commissioned in June 2010 by Acciona Agua. It draws brackish water from the River Thames—where salinity fluctuates with the tides, reaching up to approximately 11,000 ppm—and processes it for potable use .
Filtration System: Pre-treatment with Filtralite®
Before reverse osmosis (RO) desalination, source water undergoes a three-stage pre-treatment:
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Coagulation, flocculation, and lamella clarification
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Horizontal single-media pressure filtration using Filtralite® Pure HC (0.8–1.6 mm)
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Ultrafiltration membranes
This second stage employs 17 pressure filters, each with a 50 m² filtration area, operating at filtration rates up to 12 m/h. Its primary function is capturing fine suspended solids that the clarifiers fail to remove.
Plant Capacity & Performance
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Production Capacity: 150,000 m³/day
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Serves: Approximately 900,000 people in the London area.
The treated water adheres strictly to UK regulatory standards and Thames Water’s internal quality benchmarks. Filtralite®’s role ensures effective removal of fine solids, maintaining both operational efficiency and compliance.
Why It Matters
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Reliability: Enables consistently high pre-treatment performance under fluctuating raw water conditions.
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Efficiency: High filtration rate and robust media reduce risks of fouling downstream, particularly for RO membranes.
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Scalability: This model showcases how lightweight expanded clay media like Filtralite® can support large-scale, urban desalination projects with stringent quality demands
Mohammed Kastawy Area Sales Manager – MENA Region Mobile: +971565503535 Email : mohammed.kastawy@saint-gobain.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com
