GE P&W FuelSolv - Water Treatment Solutions for the Power Industry - Manual (Page 4)

Power Industry Case Studies
Case Study
GE Helps Electric Company in India Reduce Water Use, Protect the
Environment and Save Money
Driven by a desire to protect India’s scarce water supply and the environment, ST CMS Electric
Company evaluated the millions of gallons of cooling water blowdown it was conventionally
discharging each year. The 250 Megawatt lignite-fired plant uses significant amounts of water
for cooling purposes, and GE partnered with ST CMS to explore if the company could reuse
ash pond water for cooling. As a result, ST CMS began recycling water to the cooling towers,
leading to savings in water and in the electricity needed to run the plant. After less than a year
of recycling water, ST CMS saved 482,166,460 gallons of water, with daily water savings of 5,000
m3. Total financial savings exceeded US$26,000 annually and the plant now uses six bore well
pumps—instead of eight—with a savings of US$90,000 annually. In addition to these water
resource and monetary savings, ST CMS has set an example for other companies in India to
follow, in an effort to help address the country’s water scarcity challenges.