Page 53 - BENTLEY SYSTEMS PR REPORT - March 2025

AI, and specifically machine learning, is a technology that can help engineers and operators by
applying predictions to data that has been collected from existing operations. Through the direct
integration of artificial intelligence, engineering solutions provide users with resources that allow
for more efficient management of existing assets.

Users are also implementing digital twins for the development and design of water plants, including
desalination plants. Through a reliable model, they leverage the data to simulate emergencies,
optimise operations, and make better decisions for upcoming projects. Full end-to-end software
solutions, such as those provided by Bentley, are also critical to the successful management of a
desalination plant as they enable teams to design, build, and operate water assets within a
consistent and integrated suite of tools.

Notable Examples and Success Stories

Recently, Wanhua Chemical (Penglai) Co., Ltd. started a seawater desalination project in Yantai,
China, with a capacity of 300,000 tonnes per day. The project will alleviate the shortage of
freshwater resources and support a low-carbon, environmentally friendly chemical park, supplying
Penglai with 90 million tonnes of freshwater resources annually. The project, which was situated
near the coast, faced unfavourable geological conditions, complex desalination machinery and
procedures, and challenges with data integration and exchange. As a result, the project team
wanted to test BIM workflows to complete the desalination plant.

The project was carried out by Beijing Shougang International Engineering Technology Co., Ltd.,
using Bentley’s water treatment plant engineering solution. They built a collaborative BIM
environment, modelled the machinery and plant, and analysed and simulated water hammer and
pipeline stress to guarantee system dependability and safety. Workflows were further optimised,
which reduced the design cycle by more than 50 per cent and increased design efficiency by 70 per
cent. With the help of a connected digital platform, they identified and resolved 247 design
conflicts, reducing engineering waste and cutting down on construction time by 10 per cent.

The entire plant, spanning 10 broad disciplines, was designed using a BIM collaborative design.
Selecting this approach to implementation had several advantages, including the ability to build the
project on a coastline with poor geological conditions around numerous existing outdoor buried
and overhead pipelines, cable bridges, and other structures. By using the Bentley platform to
complete the BIM design, they were able to deliver high-quality results while also allowing teams to
design the entire plant in four months.

Myths and Misconceptions

Two major misconceptions that we think are now being addressed, especially through the
development of new digital solutions, are that desalination is only effective on a large scale and
that it is not generally a cost-effective option due to its high energy consumption. Although the
massive desalination projects, such as the one in Saudi Arabia, have received a lot of attention in
the past, we are beginning to realise that this technology is also practical on a smaller scale.
Regardless of the plant’s size, whether it is being used for city water supply or industrial purposes,
successful projects require multidisciplinary teams to collaborate and make use of modern digital
workflows.

https://www.utilities-me.com/opinion/discover-desalination-understanding-emerging-trends-in-
seawater