Annual Report 2011-2012

Annual Research Report 2011-2012
Project Title:
Optimization of water consumption in thermal power plants
of Iran through loss reduction and wastewater recovery
Department: Environment Protection
Employer: Tavanir Co.
Project Manager: M.Jalali Lichaei
Project Code: JEVVA02
Project Staff: S. Davari, A. Yari, H. Hamed
Project Summary:
Availability of adequate water with acceptable quality is an important factor for
sustainable development in power industry. Due to priority of providing water for
municipal and agricultural uses, it will be more challenging for industries including
power industry to meet future water requirements. Due to the high consumption of
water in steam and combined cycle power plants, a program for managing and
optimizing water consumption of electrical industry is essential. In this regards, this
project was performed to determine the current status of water consumtion and
wastewater production in thermal power plants, determination of proper water usage
patterns in power plants based on their type and specifications, to compare the current
situation with proper water usage and to propose plans of water usage optimization in
selected power plants.
In this regards, questionnaires were sent to power plants in order to gather information
of their water usage and its quality, specs of water treatment systems and quantity and
quality of effluent produced by the plant. Standard criteria for water usage in power
plants were determined, according to the type and specification of plants and the current
status of water usage in plants was compared with each other and with the standard.
According to the information collected in this stage, power plants were prioritized based
on the need to water usage management and three power plants were selected for further
evaluation in collaboration with the employer.
In the next stage, different plans to reduce water usage in the selected power plants,
especially in their cooling towers as the leading consumer of raw water, was evaluated.
Wastewater recycling techniques and appropriate usage of treated wastewater in
selected power plants was investigated and the initial design of the required equipment
for the recovery of the effluents was performed.
Possibility of water and energy exchange between selected plants and adjacent areas in
order to reduce the use of water and energy evaluated. Finally the cost-benefit analysis
of water usage optimization and wastewater recovery plans in selected power plants
105