Water is a critical component of power generation – in conventional power plants, water is heated to transform it into steam, which then spins the turbines that produce electricity. To meet their high water demands, plants are often located near rivers, lakes, or oceans, where surface water contains impurities like suspended solids, bacteria, algae, and natural organic material (NOM). These must be removed before make-up water enters the boilers.
Pretreatment methods are used to remove larger floating and suspended materials, reverse osmosis (RO) membrane elements are implemented to remove dissolved solids, and usually, downstream ion exchange systems are used to polish the water further before it is sent to the boilers.
Despite pretreatment, surface water’s high organic and biological content may cause organic fouling and biofouling in RO systems. Organic deposits on membranes may lead to a decline in RO system performance, requiring chemical cleaning. The more fouling the feed stream, the more frequent cleanings are required, leading to increased downtime, shorter membrane life, and higher operating costs.
Fast Facts:
| Location | USA |
| Application | Boiler feed for power generation |
| Feed Water Type | River water |
| Technology | ZwitterCo Low Energy Brackish Water Reverse Osmosis (RO) |
| System Capacity | 590,400 gpd (410 gpm) 2,234 m3/d (93.1 m3/h) |
| RO System Configuration | 2 parallel trains, each 6:3:2 array and 6M |
| Duration of Trial | Nov 2023 – Jan 2025 |
| Challenge |
|
| Solution & Impact |
|