Sonitec-Vortisand Inc., St. Laurent, Quebec, has shipped the first of its Vortisand microfiltration systems to the Sadara petrochemical complex in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

A joint venture between Dow Chemical Co., Midland, Mich., and Saudi Aramco, the Sadara complex is reportedly the world’s largest integrated chemical facility built in a single phase. Currently under construction in Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia, it will produce more than 3 million metric tons of chemicals and plastics.

The Vortisand microfiltration system is an automatic back-washable centrifugal sand filter that combines centrifugal separation and micro-sand filtration. The system achieves very fine filtration (0.45 µm) at a high rate while using less water for backwash compared to traditional sand filters. It is used for cooling towers, district cooling chilled water, pre-reverse osmosis, deionization processes, water reuse and other specialized polishing water applications.

 The Saudi Arabian national oil and natural gas company, Saudi Aramco is based in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.