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FGD Wastewater Challenge

Flue gas desulfurization systems generate wastewater containing heavy metals (mercury, arsenic, selenium), suspended solids, high chlorides, and dissolved salts. This challenging effluent requires specialised treatment to meet stringent discharge requirements.

Heavy Metals

FGD wastewater contains mercury, arsenic, selenium, and other metals requiring precipitation and removal to meet strict discharge limits.

Challenge: < 10 ppb mercury

High Chlorides

Chloride concentrations can exceed 10,000 mg/L, requiring corrosion-resistant materials and specialised treatment processes.

Challenge: 5,000-30,000 mg/L Cl

Suspended Solids

High gypsum and fly ash content creates significant solids loading requiring high-capacity clarification systems.

Challenge: 2-10% solids

Dissolved Salts

High TDS levels from limestone and reaction byproducts require advanced treatment or zero liquid discharge approaches.

Challenge: 30,000+ mg/L TDS

Treatment Process

Our FGD treatment systems include metals precipitation with sulphide or hydroxide, solids separation with clarification, and filtration for polishing. Advanced processes like biological selenium removal and membrane systems achieve very low discharge limits.

Equalization

Flow and load equalization tanks buffer variations in FGD wastewater quality, providing consistent feed to downstream treatment processes.

Benefit: Process stability

Metals Precipitation

Hydroxide and sulphide precipitation removes mercury, arsenic, and other heavy metals to meet stringent discharge requirements.

Removal: 99%+ metals

Clarification

LAMELLA clarifiers provide high-rate solids separation for precipitated metals and gypsum with minimal footprint.

Efficiency: 95% TSS removal

Filtration

Multimedia filters and self-cleaning filters provide final polishing for suspended solids removal.

Polishing: < 5 ppm TSS

Selenium Removal

Biological reduction systems remove selenate and selenite to < 5 ppb, meeting the most stringent discharge limits.

Removal: 99.9% selenium

Sludge Dewatering

Screw presses and centrifuges dewater metal-laden sludge for secure landfill disposal.

Cake: 20-25% solids

Compliance Performance

Integrated FGD treatment achieves 99%+ metals removal and produces effluent meeting strict ELG (Effluent Limitation Guidelines) requirements for power plant wastewater discharge.

ELG Compliance

Meets all EPA Effluent Limitation Guidelines for power plant wastewater including arsenic, mercury, selenium, and nitrate limits.

Standard: 40 CFR Part 423

Metals Removal

Achieves >99% removal of mercury, arsenic, and other heavy metals through optimised precipitation and filtration processes.

Result: < 10 ppb mercury

Zero Liquid Discharge

Advanced membrane and evaporation systems achieve ZLD, eliminating wastewater discharge and maximising water recovery.

Recovery: 95%+ water

Performance Monitoring

Integrated SCADA systems provide real-time monitoring and automated reporting for regulatory compliance documentation.

Feature: Auto-reporting

Meets EPA ELG requirements
99%+ heavy metals removal
Selenium < 5 ppb achievable
Arsenic < 10 ppb achievable
Mercury < 10 ppb achievable
Automated compliance reporting

Related Applications

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Pre-engineered containerised treatment for rapid deployment.

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