OJ Morin

1939–
Chief Technology Officer, Shuangliang Eco-Energy.

Pioneering engineer who pushed technical and geographical boundaries with the same flair; recipient of four awards for one plant.

OJ Morin – Tom Pankratz
OJ Morin – Tom Pankratz

OJ started his career with Westinghouse, including the 1967 Key West MSF plant, which broke new ground and tested several new concepts to destruction in the process.

From 1968 to 1988, and 1996 to 2010, he was with Desalination Systems and Services, first as VP, then principal desalination engineer; in between, he worked for Black & Veatch. In 1978, he had substantial input into the tendering and design of the al-Jubail phase II facility, still the largest MSF site (and number of evaporators on the same site) in the world.

He moved to Shuangliang Eco-Energy in 2010, and retired in early 2011.

 
I completed a design for a 20mgd (75,700m3/d) MSF unit in 1969, and only today are plants being built of this capacity.

I mention this only to show how slowly the desalination industry moves.

Landmark plants

  • Key West (Florida, USA, 9,900m3/d, 1964, MSF) – early long-tube; introduced vertical plate vessel support, induced draft decarbonator, post-treatment with limestone beds;
  • Bluehills (Bahamas, 1970, MSF) – had 52 stages, despite OJ's efforts to get this reduced to 36;
  • Al-Jubail Phase II (Saudi Arabia, 908,500m3/d, 1978, MSF) – biggest MSF site ever, most evaporators (40) on one site, pioneered various construction materials;
  • Chandler (Arizona, USA, RO) – received four awards from different professional and media bodies.