HRS Provides MVR Evaporation System for EU‑Funded Zero Liquid Discharge Project in Murcia

HRS Heat Exchangers has secured an order to design, manufacture, and install a Mechanical Vapour Recompression (MVR) evaporation system for the LIFE Desirows consortium, an EU‑funded project advancing zero liquid discharge (ZLD) in the Murcia region of Spain.

LIFE Desirows investigates how to recover valuable salts and products from the brines produced by reverse osmosis (RO) units used for irrigation water. Without proper treatment, these brines elevate nitrate levels in local watercourses, undermining water quality and threatening the region’s tourism and agriculture sectors.

LIFE Desirows Consortium

The consortium, led by the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT), has engineered a process that first uses a double RO stage to generate a secondary brine. This brine then undergoes denitrification and chemical precipitation to remove nutrients and salts. The clarified solution is thermally concentrated with a cooling tower and MVR to create a saturated solution.

Finally, Wind‑Aided Intensified Evaporation extracts the precipitated salts, delivering a true zero liquid discharge solution that converts the brine into clean irrigation water, fertilisers, and industrial salts. All stages are powered by renewable electricity—solar PV and biomass—enhancing the project’s sustainability credentials.

HRS MVR Evaporation Solution

HRS supplies a forced‑recirculation evaporator powered by MVR, which is among the most economical ways to concentrate waste streams without a thermal energy source. The system’s corrugated‑tube technology generates turbulence that improves heat transfer and delays fouling—critical for brine processing.

Tomas Stiebe, HRS Evaporation Expert: “We are proud to contribute a proven technical solution to this environmental challenge. With local manufacturing in Murcia, we understand the impact on the Mar Menor and are committed to helping restore its waters.”

“Product trials with UPCT confirmed the suitability of our corrugated‑tube MVR evaporator for the LIFE Desirows system, building on our track record of delivering ZLD solutions across Spain.”

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