Thermoelectric power generation plants use water — lots of it — primarily to cool the steam that powers turbines.
Plants can improve water sustainability, increasing fresh water supplies and overall efficiency
Because most power plants are heavy water users, particularly for cooling the steam used to turn generator turbines, effective water treatment is crucial to maintaining efficiency, reducing operational costs, and complying with environmental regulations.
Whether the plants are fueled by coal, natural gas, fuel oil, or other energy sources, proper treatment ensures that water used in various processes is free from impurities that can cause equipment damage, reduce efficiency, and increase maintenance costs.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the processes that use water and how the water is sourced.
- Demineralized boiler makeup water: Producing demineralized boiler and cycle makeup water is essential for preventing scale buildup and corrosion in steam systems. Fluence uses technologies like electrodeionization, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, and nanofiltration to remove impurities and minerals. This results in high-quality makeup water that maintains heat transfer and prolongs the lifespan of steam systems.
- Seawater desalination: For power plants that use seawater, desalination is vital. It removes salt and other dissolved minerals, making the water suitable for use by power generation systems. This process ensures a reliable source of fresh water, which is crucial for maintaining the efficiency and performance of power generation systems.
- Cooling towers: Cooling towers are used to remove heat generated during power production. Treating the cooling tower makeup water with reverse osmosis removes impurities, dissolved solids, and salts leading to an increased cycle of concentration, reduced water and chemical usage, and lower maintenance expenses.
- Wastewater treatment and water reuse: Reusing water in power generation processes reduces the demand for fresh water in water-scarce Fluence’s wastewater treatment systems use physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove pollutants from the wastewater generated at power plants. This treated water can be reused within the plant as service water, in cooling towers, or as steam system makeup water.
Fluence has a range of decentralized solutions that can be used on-site at power plants to fill these needs.
Modular and Containerized Plants
Fluence’s modular and containerized plants are designed for flexibility and durability. They can be quickly deployed and transported to different locations, making them ideal for power plants that need scalable and efficient water treatment solutions. These plants can withstand various weather and seismic conditions, ensuring reliable operation.
Fluence has experience working with a variety of clients in the power industry. Here are a few examples of projects:
- MSU Energy (Argentina): Water treatment plants serving the Barker and Villa Maria thermoelectric plants have a total capacity of 576,000 GPD (2,180 m3/d), using two-pass reverse osmosis and electrodeionization.
- Central Puerto (Buenos Aires, Argentina): River water is treated with ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis, producing 424,800 GPD (1,608 m3/d) of demineralized water for high-pressure steam systems.
- Gas Atacama-ENEL (Chile): A modular plant generates 720,000 GPD (2,725 m3/d) of demineralized water from seawater, using ultrafiltration and two-pass reverse osmosis followed by electrodeionization.
- Genelba-Techint: Water treatment system for the plant’s towers and low-pressure boiler systems featuring ultrafiltration and single-pass reverse osmosis, designed for 2.88 million GPD (10,900 m3/d).
Fluence offers a variety of solutions, including high-quality demineralized water, efficient cooling tower treatment, and effective wastewater management, helping power plants operate more efficiently and reduce their environmental footprint. Contact our experts to optimize your power plant’s water treatment.
