Ultra pure water system features high efficiency reverse osmosis process

Jul 12, 2010 - engineerlive.com

SunPower Corp has selected GE to supply the new SunPower-AUO joint venture solar cell fabrication plant in Malaysia with an ultra pure water system to meet the needs of its next generation manufacturing facility.

The GE system will save more than 230 million gallons of water relative to other  technologies—sufficient to meet the daily water needs of more than 8,300 community residents.

The SunPower-AUO facility will be the largest silicon solar manufacturing factory in the world and is expected to begin operations near the end of 2010 and ramp production during the following two years.

The factory, known as Fab 3, is located 20 kilometres north of Melaka, Malaysia, in a region that has experienced prior water shortages and drought.

GE will design, supply and install an advanced ultra pure water system featuring the internationally patented high efficiency reverse osmosis (HERO) process. The system, operating on a challenging and variable feedwater source, will provide 2,400 gallons per minute of ultra pure water for manufacturing.

“With operating efficiencies exceeding 90 percent, the HERO system will not only conserve water, but through advances in technology and its implementation, we’ll also see an immediate positive return on environment for our customer,” said Jeff Connelly, vice president, engineered systems—water and process technologies for GE Power & Water.

For more information, visit www.ge.com