720155Genairclean, a revolution in Reverse Osmosis membrane cleaning performanceClosedGRD Development of PrototypeInnovate UKSecuring access to clean water is a major global challenge with water demand set to increase by 50% over the next 50 yrs. Desalination technologies plays a vital role in the production of clean water providing an unlimited & constant supply of high quality water for human consumption, industrial & agricultural application. With lower capital costs & energy requirements, Reverse Osmosis (RO) is the dominant method for desalination, with over 20,000 operational RO plants globally representing 70% of total world desalinated water production capacity. Despite RO’s widespread application, all RO Membrane (ROM) elements are subject to fouling by dissolved & suspended materials present in the feedwater which significantly impact operational efficiency leading to system damage. Typically membranes require cleaning every 3 – 12 months and replacing every 2- 3yrs due to fouling . Genesys Manufacturing Limited, a leading developer of antiscalants, cleaners & biocides for the ROM mkt, aim to address the mkt need for improved membrane cleaning through the development of a novel air assisted chemical cleaning process known as “Genairclean”. This is based on the use of the “Genairator” a proprietary venturi based dynamic air injector to create microbubbles for physical agitation, combined with the development of effervescent cleaning reagents. Basic proof of concept studies have indicated that Genairclean could deliver an increase in cleaning efficiency by up to 40% at no additional cost, resulting in a significant improvement in plant efficiency. A reduction in electricity pumping costs & extended membrane life by 1-2 yrs is also foreseen. The technology will be applied across RO & Nanofiltration (NF) membranes used in the desalination process including the industrial, commercial, municipal, healthcare, governmental & non-profit sectors worldwide. The approach offers the potential to revolutionise the membrane chemical cleaning mkt worth $625M resulting in savings c.$52m/yr