Reinforcing its commitment to sustainability, the company transforms seawater into freshwater, a sufficient volume to supply around 800 families per month.
Only 2.5% of the water on Earth is fresh. Given this scarcity, programs that promote the conscious use and preservation of this natural resource are increasingly necessary. Committed to sustainability, Seagems, a Brazilian company specialized in underwater engineering solutions, plays an important role by developing efficient processes for seawater desalination aboard its vessels to produce potable water.
This process takes place on the company’s six vessels, which together are capable of producing up to 450,000 liters of freshwater per day. Over the course of a month, this production would be enough to supply a city of up to 3,200 inhabitants, a situation that applies to nearly 10% of Brazilian municipalities according to the IBGE survey of 2024. In domestic terms, this volume could supply approximately 800 families of no more than four people.
“Our commitment to sustainability goes beyond operational efficiency. We work to integrate responsible practices with technological innovation, ensuring that our operations contribute to environmental preservation and create a positive impact on communities,” highlights Paulino Neto, maintenance manager at Seagems.
Desalination Process
Aboard the ships, seawater is transformed through reverse osmosis, a process that uses semipermeable membranes to remove salts and impurities. The method involves five stages:
- Pre-filtration: removal of smaller and unwanted suspended particles.
- Scale inhibition: addition of anti-scaling agents to prevent solid deposits.
- Desalination: separation of the salty water into two flows – potable water and salty residue.
- Mineralization: addition of calcium and magnesium to improve taste and prevent corrosion.
- Disinfection: addition of agents to prevent bacterial and algae growth.
The produced water is of high quality, used to circulate through the vessel’s plumbing, primarily for cleaning and cooking purposes. “The produced water is potable, receiving remineralization, UV treatment, and chlorination to ensure its potability. It is used in the sinks and showers of all accommodations, bathrooms, and the kitchen. However, Seagems’ preference is to provide sealed water for human consumption, solely for the convenience it represents in terms of distribution,” explains Paulino.
Other sustainable initiatives on the vessel
Sustainability at Seagems goes beyond desalinated water. The company follows strict practices for managing solid and liquid waste aboard:
- Selective waste collection: waste is segregated and stored in color-coded containers for responsible disposal on land.
- Wastewater treatment: oily water is separated from contaminants and discarded only if the oil concentration is equal to or less than 15 parts per million (PPM). Otherwise, it is sent to licensed companies.
- Sanitary effluents: these are treated and discarded only at regulated distances from the coast, always recorded in the Oil Record Book.
- Food waste: shredded to facilitate assimilation in the marine environment, provided it is free from plastic materials.
“Our policy is clear: no waste is disposed of in the sea without proper treatment. We follow strict standards to ensure our operations have the lowest possible environmental impact,” concludes the maintenance manager.