GFS Seawater Desalination Tanks: Advanced, Corrosion-Resistant Engineering by Center Enamel

With global water scarcity on the rise, seawater desalination is becoming an essential solution for meeting municipal, industrial, and agricultural water needs. At the heart of any successful desalination infrastructure lies effective, safe, and durable water storage—encompassing raw seawater buffers, intermediary process tanks, and post-treatment potable or industrial water tanks. Seawater presents extreme challenges due to high salinity and corrosive chemistry, demanding the most advanced storage engineering. Center Enamel’s Glass-Fused-to-Steel (GFS) seawater desalination tanks provide a future-proof answer, blending mechanical robust steel with the chemical inertness of glass to ensure reliable, long-lasting performance.

As a leading storage tank manufacturer worldwide. Center Enamel can provide Glass Lined Steel(GLS) tanks, fusion bonded epoxy tanks, stainless steel tanks, galvanized steel tanks, welded steel tanks and aluminum geodesic dome roofs, Wastewater and Biogas Project Equipments for global customers.

WasteWater Treatment Project Equipment Supply

1. Engineering Challenges of Desalination Tank Storage

Seawater, unlike treated water or freshwater, is rich in chlorides, sulfates, and other salts that aggressively attack standard steel, concrete, or even polymer linings. Challenges include:

• Accelerated corrosion and tank wall failure
• Scale and deposit formation reducing capacity and reliability
• High maintenance costs, frequent repairs, and operational downtimes
• Water quality risks from leaching or tank degradation
• Stringent regulatory demands for potable water and industrial system safety

Reliable desalination tanks must assure total corrosion resistance, prevent contamination, reduce lifecycle costs, and withstand harsh coastal or industrial environments.

2. The GFS Technology Advantage

Glass-Fused-to-Steel technology fuses industrial glass onto steel panels at firing temperatures from 820°C to 930°C. Both the interior and exterior surfaces receive this ultra-dense, non-porous, smooth glass layer, chemically bonded to the steel substrate.

Benefits for Seawater Desalination:

• Unmatched Corrosion Resistance: GFS tanks resist pH 1–14 (with special glass), protecting against aggressive brine, acids, and basified waters throughout all desalination stages.
• Long Service Life: Expect over 30 years of operation, usually with zero need for recoating or relining—significantly outlasting traditional steel, concrete, or polymer solutions.
• Mechanical Robustness: Steel backbone supports immense hydrostatic loads, seismic and wind forces, as well as thermal cycling found at coastal or industrial sites.
• Easy-to-Clean Surfaces: The glass’s glossy, inert surface makes scaling, fouling, and microbial growth easy to remove—supporting high water quality and easy inspections.
• Gas and Liquid Impermeability: The fused glass barrier blocks microleaks, vapor migration, and keeps stored water secure and uncontaminated.
• Modularity & Scalability: Bolted panel construction allows for rapid assembly, future expansion, and relocation with minimum site disruption.

3. Key Technical Attributes

• Steel Plate Thickness: Typically 3–12mm, engineered for height and capacity requirements
• Glass Enamel Coating: 0.25–0.45mm thick per side, double-layered inside and outside
• Panel Sizes: Modular panels (e.g., 2400mm x 1200mm effective) enable diverse tank configurations
• pH Resistance: Standard coating suitable for pH 3–11; special coatings available for pH 1–14 applications
• Hardness: 6.0 Mohs—abrasion and impact resistance exceeds epoxy, paint, and most polymer linings
• Adhesion: ≥3450 N/cm, ensuring glass won’t delaminate from steel substrate
• Color Options: Standard dark blue, green, white, or customized hues for project branding or visual compliance
• Certifications: ISO9001, AWWA D103, EN 28765, NSF/ANSI 61, WRAS, and more

4. Production and Assembly Excellence at Center Enamel

• Raw Materials: Only high-grade, low-carbon steel is selected, surface prepped by sandblasting for ideal enamel adhesion
• Double-Side Coating & Firing: Steel panels undergo two or more enamel and firing cycles in specialized electric kilns
• Panel Fabrication: Precision CNC cutting, forming, and bolt hole punching ensures exact fit and sealing
• Sealing: Bolts are paired with high-performance gaskets and sealants, guaranteeing leak-tight, corrosion-resistant assembly
• Final Inspection: Every panel passes rigorous spark/hardness tests, acid/alkali soak trials, and dimensional checks before shipping

5. Application Scenarios in Desalination

• Raw Seawater Buffer Tanks: Secure, leakproof storage for intake water, supporting consistent plant operation despite tidal or pipeline supply variation
• Process Water Tanks: Holding chemically doped pre-RO feedwater, sand-filtered water, antiscalant-mixed streams, and more
• Post-Treatment/Permeate Tanks: Safe, hygiene-assured holding for potable or industrial use, where any leaching or contamination is unacceptable
• Brine and Reject Water Storage: Tanks engineered for ultra-high chloride and other aggressive brine streams prior to zero liquid discharge, deep well injection, or return to sea
• Hybrid Systems: Tanks supporting multi-stage flash, multi-effect distillation or forward osmosis systems, handling a wide variety of water chemistries

6. Maintenance, Sustainability, and Lifecycle Value

• Near-Zero Maintenance: No need for regular painting, relining, or coating repairs; only routine inspection and occasional washdowns
• Long-Term Economy: Lower capital expenditure per m³ stored when considering lifecycle, plus sharp reductions in downtime and emergency repair costs
• Environmental Responsibility: No VOCs or hazardous byproducts in coating processes; panels and supports are entirely recyclable at end-of-life, supporting circular economy targets
• Easy Upgrades and Expansion: Modular design allows plant owners/operators to scale or repurpose tanks as capacity or process needs evolve

7. Why Center Enamel?

• Pioneers in Double-Sided GFS: Over a decade of global leadership, proprietary glass formulations, and installation experience in the world’s challenging water markets
• Project Management Expertise: From engineering and logistics to on-site supervision and after-sales service, Center Enamel delivers total project confidence
• Total Customization: Volumes from 20m³ to 60,000m³+, diameters and heights to suit any space, local code, or operational demand
• Global Track Record: Thousands of seawater, brine, and process water tanks installed from the Middle East to Australia, Africa to the Americas

8. User Case Highlights

• Large-Scale Municipal Desalination: GFS tanks buffering pre- and post-treatment water at megaplants ensure uninterrupted supply, safe operation, and long-lasting tank life in the most saline, humid, and corrosive climates
• Industrial and Utility Plants: Refineries, power stations, steel mills, and hybrid cooling towers rely on GFS tanks for make-up water, plant process stabilization, and environmental protection from brine leakage
• Emergency and Resilience Infrastructure: Rapid deployment, reliability, and minimal operational support make GFS tanks a preferred option for island, coastal, and disaster-relief water projects

9. Comparison Table

GFS seawater desalination tanks from Center Enamel represent the new gold standard for performance, hygiene, resilience, and operational efficiency in saltwater storage. By harnessing the best of materials science and modular engineering, Center Enamel’s tanks empower plant operators to deliver high-quality fresh water safely and economically, for decades to come.

Whether you are upgrading an existing site or planning a new turnkey installation, Center Enamel’s technical and project team can deliver a bespoke, future-ready solution for all stages of desalination—in every climate and location. Choose GFS for lasting performance, lower lifecycle cost, and unmatched safety for your desalination water portfolio.

Shijiazhuang Zhengzhong Technology Co.,Ltd is a professional manufacturer dedicated to the design and fabrication of bolted storage tanks since 1989. Our products range includes Glass-Fused-to-Steel (GFS) tanks, fusion bonded epoxy tanks, stainless steel tanks, galvanized steel tanks and aluminum geodesic dome roofs. With professional enameling R&D team and more than 20 enameling patents, Shijiazhuang Zhengzhong Technology Co.,Ltd has become the leader in bolted tanks industry of Asia. Our products are certified to ISO 9001, CE, NSF/ANSI 61, WRAS, ISO 28765, LFGB, BSCI, ISO 45001 and other international standards.

Shijiazhuang Zhengzhong Technology Co., Ltd is not only the first manufacturer in China which produces Glass-Fused-to-Steel tanks, but also the most experienced professional bolted tanks manufacturer in Asia. The engineering & design, product testing and quality system of Center Enamel Glass-Fused-to-Steel tanks is in strict accordance with AWWA D103-09, OSHA, ISO 28765, NSF/ANSI 61, NFPA and other international standards. Center Enamel Glass-Fused-to-Steel tanks are wildly used in drinking / potable water, industrial effluents, municipal sewage, bio-energy, landfill leachate, agriculture and other applications. Until 2023, Center Enamel bolted tanks have been exported to more than 100 countries including USA, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Indonesia, Russia, UAE, Panama, Brazil and South Africa etc., the superior tank quality and prompt service gains us worldwide recognition.

As an outstanding containment and cover system provider with more than 30 years of experience, Shijiazhuang Zhengzhong Technology Co., Ltd sincerely expects to establish long-term cooperation with the local partners throughout the world and make continuous contribution to the development of the industry.