Pressure and flow recovery: What to track

Watch flows, preheat sources and desalination orders

What this tab covers The attributes worth tracking regularly, with the latest value, the direction of travel and why each matters.

Track flow-weighted operating hours and how preheat is supplied for gas, plus desalination order flow for PX.

Category	Attribute	Latest	Trend	Why it matters
Operational	Capacity factor and operating hours	About 57% for a 30 kW in-pipe turbine at EBMUD (calculated); about 4,160 h/y for two-shift compressors²⁵	→ stable	Small turbines only pay if flow is steady above about 3,000-4,000 hours.
Operational	Conversion efficiency over time	PX up to 98%; turboexpander about 70% overall¹³	→ stable	Wear or fouling shows up as falling kWh per unit of flow.
Counterparty	Host counterparty credit and utilisation rate	Mostly municipal water and gas utilities⁵	→ stable	Low default risk, but gas throughput may fall as heating electrifies.
Impact	t CO2e avoided per dollar invested	Not sourced per project; PX cuts SWRO energy by up to 60%¹	↗ improving	Use the same metric to rank PX, hydro and compressor projects.
Operational	Heat exchanger fouling and cleaning frequency	Gas outlet kept about 25 C above dew point; compressor coolers need oil-water separation²³	→ stable	Hydrates and fouled coolers trip units and cut recovered heat.
Policy	Local carbon pricing and penalties	EU ETS allowance about EUR 88.3/t CO2 (12 October 2026, highest since late January), after a seven-week low of EUR 82.40 on 5 October; EU CBAM definitive phase since 1 January 2026, priced at ETS auction levels. India CCTS: final intensity targets for about 490 units in seven sectors (aluminium, cement, chlor-alkali, pulp and paper, refining, petrochemicals, textiles) for 2025-26 and 2026-27 against a 2023-24 base; iron and steel targets for 255 entities issued as a second draft in June 2026, with compliance from 2026-27; fertiliser still pending; first credits expected around October 2026, with trading from November 2026 to January 2027; targets designed around a cost of about USD 10/t CO2.¹¹⁸⁷⁹¹⁰¹²	↕ volatile	Carbon prices set the extra value of each tonne avoided. Even at its 5 October low of EUR 82.40 (about USD 91.87), the EU price was roughly nine times India's design level (calculated). For this tile: water utilities and gas networks are not CCTS sectors, so value comes mainly from energy prices.
Technology-specific	Preheat source at gas letdown stations	Modelled 2 MW retrofit needs 1,980 kW extra heat (calculated)³	→ stable	Gas-fired preheat cancels much of the climate benefit; waste heat or heat pumps keep it.
Technology-specific	Desalination capacity using pressure exchangers	Over 43 million m3/day from plants using ERI devices (FY2025)¹	↗ improving	The main growth driver for PX and for ERI's revenue.

Sources

Energy Recovery, Inc. Form 10-K for fiscal year 2025 (company filing) Energy Recovery, Inc. (US SEC filing), 2026
Fact Sheet 10: Heat recovery with compressed air systems (updated 2026) Compressed Air Challenge (sourcebook developed with US DOE), 2026
H2 production through gas pressure utilization at natural gas transmission network stations (G. Vallios, METRON SA) H2Tech, 2023
Water and wastewater systems hydropower guide (document 24-50213) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Idaho National Laboratory for US DOE Water Power Technologies Office, 2024
CBAM definitive regime European Commission, DG Taxation and Customs Union, 2026
European carbon prices drop to 7-week low as market eyes upcoming policy agenda S&P Global Commodity Insights, 2026
Compliance obligations under India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme enter into force for seven sectors International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP), 2026
India kicks off carbon trading programme, but key polluters left out Business Standard, 2026
European carbon prices rose to EUR 88/t in October (citing ICE data) GMK Center, 2026
India's iron and steel sector moves closer to CCTS compliance: will larger decarbonisation follow? Down To Earth, 2026