Project Overview

The Nemmeli Desalination Plant is a 150 MLD (megaliters per day) plant set up to meet the growing water demand in Chennai city. This desalination plant works on SWRO (Seawater Reverse Osmosis) desalination technology and is one of the largest desalination plant in South Asia. The estimated project cost is INR 1,516 Crores (USD 184.88 Million). 

The water produced from this desalination plant is supplied to the southern parts of Chennai. It includes Sholinganallur, Neelangarai, Injambakkam, Karappakkam, Semmenchery, Thoraipakkam, and Perungudi. About 1 million people benefited from this desalination plant.

Project Background

The Nemmeli Seawater Desalination Plant was initially planned and built as a 100 MLD desalination plant. With growing water demand, the plant expanded to a total capacity of 150 MLD. The Nemmeli Seawater Desalination Plant was built under an EPC (Engineering Procurement and Construction) contract by a consortium of contractors in 3 years. This project is built across 10.5 acres of land that will supply potable water every day. 

All necessary clearances for the project, including those from the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change (MOEF&CC) for CRZ clearance, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, and the Tamil Nadu Maritime Board, have been obtained. The plant and pipeline contractors have implemented this project under the supervision of CMWSSB (Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board). This desalination plant is built under several contractors to contract for operations and maintenance for 20 years. This project contributes to the overall desalination capacity of Chennai, which now has a total desalination capacity of 750 MLD.

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Project Location

The Nemmeli Seawater Desalination Plant is about 35 km south of the city center, along the East Coast Road. It is located in Sulerikadu, Nemmeli, Tamil Nadu.

Project Cost

The Government of Tamil Nadu has constructed a sea water desalination plant at Nemmeli. The project was initially approved for a capacity of 100 MLD for INR 914.42 Crores (USD 111.52 Million). This cost is covered by a grant of INR 871.24 Crores from the Government of India (GOI) and INR 43.18 Crores from the Government of Tamil Nadu (GoTN).

Subsequently, the plant's capacity was expanded to 150 MLD. The overall project cost, after expansion, is INR 1,516 Crores (USD 184.88 million). 

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Project Timeline

Technical Specifications

The Nemmeli Desalination Plant is designed with a Seawater intake system, Pre-treatment units, an RO Plant with an energy recovery system, post-treatment units, a reject disposal system, and a Product water tank to collect desalinated water. This Product water tank is connected to a Pump House for water supply. 

The reverse osmosis plant is designed with seven (6W+1S) reverse osmosis independent trains. These trains have a daily gross unitary production of 25 MLD per skid. The RO membrane installed has a pore size of 0.001 microns. This helps reduce the TDS range of 3000–4000 ppm (parts per million) to 350 ppm.  

Pipeline Design

The seawater is pumped into the plant using 2250 mm OD (outside diameter) HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) pipes through gravity. A 1400 mm diameter MS pipeline is laid from the desalination plant to Shollinganallur Intermediate Pumping Station for a length of 21.95 km. A 1200mm dia MS pipeline from Akkarai Intermediate Pumping Station is linked with the existing 1200mm dia pipeline at Pallavaram GST Road for a length of 16.67 km. An additional 300mm diameter DI service pipeline is laid along ECR for a length of 9.00 km.

Source: cmwssb.tn.gov.in

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Water Quality

Advanced Desalination Technology

The desalination plant first pumps the seawater, which is processed through pre-treatment. This process involves three stages to ensure sufficient safety in adverse seawater conditions and qualities. The three stages include: 

• Lamella Clarifier
• DAF (Dissolved Air Floatation) system
• Ultrafiltration

The lamella clarifier in the Nemmeli Plant reduces TSS (Total Suspended Solids) by allowing seawater to flow upward through lamella plates after coagulation and flocculation, causing heavier floc to settle and collect in the bottom hopper. Flotation involves liquid-solid separation by upward displacement of insoluble particles under gravity. Using a thin polymer membrane, membrane filtration filters particles larger than 0.05 microns, ensuring high water clarity before reverse osmosis.

Source: cmwssb.tn.gov.in

An energy recovery device is installed to efficiently recover energy from rejection and reduce energy consumption in the high-pressure system. The desalinated water is then adjusted to meet drinking standards post-treatment before being discharged into the Chennai metro water transmission line.

Contractors & Investors

Current and Future Scope

The Nemmeli Seawater Desalination Plant currently meets the water needs of Chennai's growing population, especially in the southern regions. Initially built at 100 MLD, it was further expanded to a total capacity of 150 MLD under the AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation). With a capacity of 150 MLD, the plant supplies potable water to areas such as Sholinganallur, Neelangarai, and Thoraipakkam, benefiting around 1 million residents. The plant capacity may be further expanded in the coming years using advanced SWRO technology.

Currently, Chennai has a desalination capacity of 750 MLD. Other Nemmeli plants and several other desalination plants, like the Minjur desalination plant (the first desalination plant in India), contribute to Chennai's water security strategy. 

Conclusion

The Nemmeli Seawater Desalination Plant is a 150 MLD facility that addresses Chennai's water scarcity and provides water security. Supplying water to Greater Chennai Corporation, this desalination plant. Using SWRO technology, it provides fresh water to 1 million people in South Chennai. Recognized by the International Desalination Association with the Dun and Bradstreet Infra Award in 2016, this desalination plant contributes to Chennai's water management strategy. 

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