INDUSTRIAL WATER Project of the year

 

A 600 gallons-per-minute (3,270m3/d) biological treatment unit tailored to eliminate toxic selenium deposits from the wastewater outflow at the Mountaineer coal-fueled power plant in New Haven, Connecticut, through the use of an innovative molasses-fed microbial treatment system.

 

 

The plant was installed by Bowen Engineering for the client, American Electric Power (AEP). Bowen subcontracted GE to supply and install its proprietory bioreactor technology. HDR Engineering and River Consulting carried out further engineering work.

 

 

* The plant is the boldest demonstration to date of the benefits of using biological wastewater treatment techniques to solve the hazardous problems of selenium in wastewater, making it possible for AEP to meet exacting federal emissions regulations, while also cutting the potential of damage to the environment in a sustainable way.

 

* GE’s proprietary nutrient-fed microbe system offers vastly improved performance over exisiting chemical-based treatment methods, guaranteeing an elimination rate of more than 99% of selenium. The rapid rate of the removal process means it can compete effectively with the high blowdown volumes associated with flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) systems.

 

* The utilisation of a biological technique makes the plant self-sustaining, as it only requires periodical addition of the nutrient. Monthly backwashes can carry biomass and removed elemental selenium to clarifiers for safe disposal in landfill.

 

 

A 12,600m3/d brackish water reverse osmosis plant, plus an ion exchange treatment plant, forming part of the €3 billion Cartagena Refinery expansion project, the largest industrial project in Spanish history. The project was commissioned in August 2011.

 

 

The design and engineering were carried out by Sadyt (Sacyr Vallehermoso). The work was carried out on behalf of the client and site owner Repsol YPF. The RO membranes were from TriSep and the ion exchange technology by Purolite.

 

 

* The plant triumphed over a number of wastewater treatment challenges, responding to calls for a zero-discharge concept, and taking feedwater from a number of different sources. Following treatment, no water is discharged to the environment, while the brine is continuously concentrated and then redirected to an existing high salinity effluent treatment plant.

 

* Any interruption in the demineralised water supply to the refinery complex would mean losses of hundreds of thousands of Euros a day, meaning the plant design required faultless reliability along with adherence to unsparingly strict environmental standards.

 

* Few wastewater treatment projects have been built on such a busy site – Sadyt’s team had to dovetail its activities with another 6,500 workers on the refinery site at its peak. The plant was delivered on time, and with a professionalism of execution that is nothing less than outstanding.

 

 

An innovative wastewater recycling plant combining the treatment of municipal effluent from 55,000 people in nine towns, and up to 35,000m3/d of industrial wastewater from a local paper mill. 8,000m3/d of high-quality recycled water is sold back to the paper industry, easing pressure on local fresh water sources.

 

 

The project was designed, constructed and commissioned by the Gippsland Water Factory Project Alliance, a partnership comprising local utility Gippsland Water and three private companies: Transfield Services, CH2M Hill and Parsons Brinckerhoff.

 

 

* The project proves demonstrably that the treatment of municipal and industrial wastewater flows can be combined in a single facility, despite the disruptive effects of the high-strength, nutrient-poor outflow from the paper mill. While the two liquid process trains are separate, sludge from the two is combined and either sold as fertiliser, or used to generate biogas, a process that supplies 20% of the energy requirements of the plant.

 

* A revolutionary partial oxidation step breaks new ground in the treatment of high-sulphide wastewater streams, while minimising the use of electric power, chemicals and artificial nutrients. Meanwhile, innovative chlorine removal satisfies conflicting federal and state advice on post-treatment measures prior to disposal.

 

* As the first project in Australia to use membrane bioreactor technology in the production of recycled water, Gippsland was a guinea-pig for the Victorian Department of Health to develop its new recycled water quality management guidelines, providing inspiration for the future of water reuse in Australia.

 

 

A zero-liquid discharge WWTP treating 45,000m3/d of industrial effluent produced at the world’s largest gas-to-liquids complex. Effluent is treated to a very high standard using pretreatment, oil separation, biological processes and then UF and RO membrane treatment, in conjunction with evaporation and condensation of the RO brine to complete a full-cycle industrial water recycling process.

 

 

The plant was designed and built by a consortium comprising a Veolia Water/ Saipem JV and local construction firm Al Jaber, on behalf of the clients, Qatar Petroleum and Shell. Membranes were supplied by GE Zenon (UF) and Toray (RO).

 

 

* Veolia applied the full scope of its water technology expertise to the project, which features a panoply of treatment technologies to achieve the level of purity required to reinject tainted synthetic water back into the industrial process. The combination of pre-treatment, flotation, wax filtration, oil separation, bio-treatment, UF, RO plus brine concentration and evaporation makes this a truly unique plant in terms of its capabilities.

 

* Even for a company with the size and experience of Veolia, a zero-liquid discharge plant of this scale and complexity was a huge challenge to design and build. The project, costing in the region of $640 million, sets a new standard for the aspirations of the industrial wastewater treatment market.

 

* The challenge of designing and commissioning the plant was further compounded by the extreme size and complexity of the GTL plant. With a liquids capacity of 140,000 bpd, the sheer dimensions of the GTL complex meant that even Shell and QP were pushing new boundaries. As a result, the project had to be adapted as the client changed specifications during the design phase. Despite this, the construction team achieved a timely commissioning and a smooth initial operating period.