Feature

Cutting Edge Water Technology EPC Solutions

Posted on 09 February, 2010 | Tags: Profile

Established in 1981, Aquatech is a global leader in water purification technology for industrial and infrastructure markets with a focus on desalination, water reuse, and zero liquid discharge.

Over the years, executing hundreds of large projects across the globe has given Aquatech the experience and confidence to offer clients complete integrated solutions through its vast depth and breadth of technology offerings.  Along with its thermal engineering division, AquaChem ICD, Aquatech is one of few companies in the world having both thermal and membrane desalination capabilities as well as the ability to offer both thermal and membrane processes for water reuse, where it has done extensive work in the power, oil and gas and infrastructure markets. The company's focus is on combining its technology depth with its project execution track record to develop complete EPC solutions for its client with a keen focus on technology differentiated solutions addressing some of the most difficult to treat waters in Industry.   Project execution of large EPC based projects is the backbone of Aquatech's capability. The successful track record of executing large EPC projects across demographical boundaries comes from the highest standards that the company sets for itself and then pursues with fortitude. Aquatech's core strengths that distinguish the company as a versatile integrated solution provider in the EPC space:

• Ability to handle mega projects from concept, design to commissioning / delivery
• Innovative technology and engineering solutions
• Schedule-awareness and discipline in project execution
• Vendor & contractor management skills

Aquatech has a full-fledged process design team of qualified and experienced engineers for bidding and execution of large EPC projects worldwide. The strong Mechanical Engineering team uses the state of the Engineering software like STADD, Smart Plant P&ID and PDS software for plant modeling. Apart from a high quality capability for Electrical and Instrumentation engineering, Aquatech also does complete In-house PLC programming and graphic development, simulation and testing of the PLC programs being sent to project sites.
These capabilities have enabled Aquatech to work with globally renowned companies such as Shell, Saudi Aramco, SABIC, Reliance, L&T, Bechtel, Foster Wheeler, Flour Daniel, Mitsubishi, and Marubeni just to name a few.
Aquatech's Asian operations, headquartered in Pune, is a global engineering and procurement centre of Aquatech. Pune, an industrial city known for many Heavy Engineering Industries, has been a hub for the water & wastewater industry with its specialized fabricators, suppliers, and contractors.  These sub-suppliers and sub-contractors have been so developed to offer goods and services conforming to various international standards, a fact which has been accepted by globally renowned customers.
Aquatech Asia has its own capabilities for execution of EPC/Turnkey/BOOT projects worldwide. With a staff strength exceeding 200 engineers, Aquatech has completed several EPC projects in India and major clientele include Bechtel (Dabhol Power Plant), PPN Power, Pragati Power, GVK Power, Reliance, HPCL , RCF, Chemplast Sanmar and TATA Power.
Aquatech is currently executing a 25 MLD Sea Water Reverse Osmosis Plant for the 4000 MW Ultra Mega Power Project in Mundra, Gujarat for Coastal Gujarat Power Limited (A Tata Power group company) on an EPC basis. It is also setting up an effluent recycle system using its High Efficiency Reverse Osmosis (HEROTM) technology on a BOOT basis for the Reliance refinery in Jamnagar. Aquatech has also been selected as a technology supplier (HEROTM) for Effluent Recycle for the Guru Gobind Singh refinery at Bhatinda, Punjab.
Two recent global projects commissioned by Aquatech are great examples of the company's focus on technologically advanced and differentiated EPC projects. Both of these projects have received the 'Distinction Award' in two categories of the coveted 2009 Global Water Awards in the "Industrial Water Project of the Year" and "Water Reuse Project of the Year" categories. GWI's Global Water Awards recognize most important achievements and innovative contributions of various companies globally in water industry.

ENEL FGD ZLD Project
Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGZ) is the process, which removes pollution from the smoke stacks of fossil fuel power plants. The process traps most of the pollutants in a hazardous wastewater stream, which is often left to drain into the sea.
Italy's largest power generator, ENEL, had five coal-fired power stations that discharged their FGD stream that way. Wastewaters from the FGD treatment plants can no longer be discharged into the sea due to tough Italian and EU environmental regulations. In order to overcome this major environmental problem, ENEL decided to feed the pre-scrubbers with fresh and re-circulated waters and install a Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) plant at each of the 5 sites so that no industrial wastewater would be discharged to the sea.
The FGD process is notorious for doing little more than turning air pollution into water pollution. Aquatech developed a ZLD process, which included partial lime softening, evaporation, and crystallization. The water and the sludge recovered from the system are reused within the plant, entirely eliminating one of the most challenging waste streams that exist in industry.
The ENEL ZLD project is a world first, taking environmental sustainability in the power industry to new heights.

A Significant Environmental Contribution
What makes the wastewater treatment special at these power plants is that these are the first FGD ZLD plants in the world. Liquid waste from FGD scrubbers is a major issue in any market where coal is a major energy source. These waste streams have significant amounts of heavy metals and other difficult to treat constituents such as Mercury and Selenium. Efforts to treat this waste to acceptable discharge limits has been extremely challenging (especially in Europe and the United States) and most "treat to discharge" systems are not able to consistently perform, leading to major uncertainties as to what is being discharged into the environment. Prior to the ENEL ZLD projects, the concept of ZLD for FGD waste was unheard of and considered to not be possible. Taking a hybrid approach and utilizing pretreatment to the evaporators allowed Aquatech to exhibit that ZLD could be achieved on this water for a reasonable cost and with ultimate reliability. These plants will act as a model for future decision-making on permitting for FGD waste and they have already attracted attention from the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Omani Oil Field Project
The Omani Oil Field Project is a fully integrated produced water treatment system forming part of the oil field facilities development in oman. It incorporates a multiple effect mechanical vapour compression (MVC) brine concentration process to treat produced water from oil and gas extraction. The high purity distillate is then used as feedwater for steam generation. The system consists of seven identical MVC trains each with a capacity of 42,860 barrels per day, giving a total capacity of approximately 50,000m3/d. The plant was commissioned at the end of 2008.
This facility is the largest produced water reuse project in the world. It is also the first major application of MVC technology in the water reuse sector in the Middle East. The deal represents an important leap forward in terms of how the oil and gas industry in the Gulf is tackling environmental degradation. The impressive water reuse rate of approximately 90 percent significantly reduces the need to abstract fresh water from the local aquifer.
The project's use of MVC technology anticipates future disposal limitations, and lends itself well to a ZLD configuration at a later stage. The system consists of seven (7) identical MVC trains each having 42,860 BWPD (285 M3/Hr) capacity.

Overview of Environmental Aspects of the Facility
In a steamflood enhanced oil recovery process, steam is injected in the well which lowers the viscosity of heavy oil suitable for extraction. The fluid from the wells is a mixture of oil, water, and gas and goes through a separation system to separate the three. The separated water is called "produced water" and is heavily contaminated with dissolved solids and hydrocarbons. For this project, approximately 90 percent of this produced water is purified through the MVC process that generates a product of < 10 ppm total dissolved solids content to feed the OTSG's (Once Through Steam Generators) for production and injection of steam. Thus the facility has a very high recycle / reuse of waste for use in the facility that would otherwise be compensated through fresh water from the aquifer. Since the system is based on MVC technology it lends itself well to a zero liquid discharge configuration at a later stage if the facility starts experiencing disposal limitations.
Headquartered in the United States, Aquatech has a significant presence worldwide through subsidiaries in India, Europe, the Middle East, and China. Aquatech has global sourcing, EPC, O&M, and onsite services capabilities to suit logistics of project sites throughout the world and also has the proficiency to deliver projects on a BOOT basis.

Devesh Sharma is Managing Director, Aquatech Systems (Asia) Pvt. Ltd.
E-mail: dnsharma@aquatechasia.com