Office of Naval Research, MECO Expand Relationship with Construction of Second Shipboard Desalination System
Office of Naval Research, MECO Expand Relationship with Construction of Second Shipboard Desalination System
Newly Approved 4,000 GPD System Part of ONR’s Future Naval Capability Program
March 1, 2013– The Office of Naval Research (ONR) has once again selected MECO to construct a new prototype advanced desalination system. This is the second time that ONR has turned to MECO, a leading producer of water purification plants across the globe, to provide a highly reliable and energy efficient solution. The Office of Naval Research coordinates, executes and promotes the science and technology programs of the United States Navy and Marine Corps.
Last month, the Office of Naval Research awarded MECO the construction of a 100,000 GPD (gallons per day) system to be demonstrated on an LHA Amphibious Assault Ship. The new system, a 4,000 GPD unit, joins the 100,000 GPD as part of multiphase ONR Future Naval Capability program aimed at introducing new desalination capabilities to the Navy fleet.
MECO’s designs were chosen after an exhaustive selection process, during which the ONR considered proposals and designs from several other firms.
“MECO is excited to be part of the talented team ONR has put together to execute these projects,” said George Gsell, MECO’s President. “These new systems will bring tremendous value to the Navy, especially when compared to the technology currently being used.”
U.S. Navy ships often operate in littoral and coastal waters that put a heavy burden on conventional desalination plants, which decreases their online availability. MECO’s new system design will use advanced membrane and control technology to more reliably produce freshwater from challenging feedwater sources while improving energy efficiency.
The MECO plant is designed to minimize sailor intervention for operation and maintenance while improving reliability and life cycle costs for the Navy. The prototype will be demonstrated at the U.S. Navy Seawater Desalination Test Facility in Port Hueneme, California, later this year.
MECO has a history of providing products and services to the U.S. Armed Forces, beginning with World War II. The company’s military products include mobile water purification plants and pumps and marine heat exchangers. In conjunction with Teledyne Scientific and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), MECO is developing technologies to further reduce weight, space and energy for man-portable desalination. MECO is currently under contract with the U.S. Army TACOM for production of the Lightweight Water Purifier (LWP). The LWP represents current state of the art technology for small mobile water and desalination needs.
About MECO
MECO is a manufacturer of engineered products for water purification serving multiple industries. MECO is also the world’s leading producer of water purification plants for offshore oil and gas platforms and the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries where ultra-pure water is the primary ingredient in the drug manufacturing process. MECO is a Louisiana based company with facilities in Houston, Covington, La., and Singapore.