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Industry Overview

Water Management for Power Plants

Power generation facilities require extensive water treatment for cooling systems, boiler feed, flue gas desulfurization (FGD), and ash handling. Our solutions are engineered for the high-volume, continuous operation demands of power plants with reliable, low-maintenance equipment. From cooling-water and boiler-feed treatment to flue-gas desulphurisation and ash-water handling, each duty is engineered for high-volume, continuous, low-maintenance service. Reynolds & Bauhm integrate these systems so the whole station meets its water-quality and discharge obligations dependably.

Cooling Water Treatment

Filtration and clarification systems for cooling tower makeup water and side-stream filtration to prevent scaling, fouling, and corrosion.

Explore Power Cooling Water

Boiler Feed Water

High-purity water treatment for boiler makeup including clarification, filtration, and demineralisation pre-treatment.

Explore Power Boiler Feed

FGD Wastewater

Treatment of flue gas desulfurization blowdown containing heavy metals, suspended solids, and chlorides.

Explore Power Fgd

Ash Handling Water

Clarification and dewatering systems for bottom ash and fly ash transport water with high solids handling capacity.

Explore Power Ash Handling

Applications

Power Generation Sectors We Serve

Coal-Fired Power Plants

Complete water treatment for cooling, boiler feed, FGD wastewater, and ash handling in thermal power stations.

Explore Power Coal

Natural Gas Combined Cycle

High-purity water systems for HRSG makeup and cooling water treatment for gas turbine power plants.

Explore Power Gas

Nuclear Power Plants

Reliable water treatment for auxiliary cooling systems and liquid waste processing with safety-critical design.

Explore Power Nuclear

Renewable Energy

Water treatment for concentrated solar power (CSP), geothermal plants, and biomass power facilities.

Explore Power Renewable

Industrial Cogeneration

Combined heat and power (CHP) facilities requiring integrated water treatment for process and power generation.

Explore Power Cogeneration

Waste-to-Energy

Wastewater treatment for flue gas cleaning and ash handling in municipal waste incineration plants.

Explore Power Waste Energy

Power Plant Water & Wastewater Streams

From boiler makeup to FGD purge — the chemistry behind each loop

StreamConductivity / TDSKey Quality LimitTypical ContaminantsTreatment Driver
Boiler makeup (high-pressure)< 0.1 µS/cmSiO2 < 20 µg/kg; Na < 5 µg/kg (ASME)Hardness, silica, dissolved O2, organics2-pass RO + EDI + polish
Condensate polishing0.05 – 0.5 µS/cmNa < 5 µg/kg; Cl < 5 µg/kgIron oxides, condenser leak salts, amine residualMixed-bed ion exchange; deep-bed filters
Cooling tower blowdown1,500 – 10,000 µS/cmLSI < 0; cycles 3–7Ca/Mg hardness, sulphate, biocides, phosphonate scale inhibitorSide-stream softening; cycles control
FGD purge / wet scrubber bleed20,000 – 60,000 µS/cmEPA ELG: Se <12 µg/L, Hg <39 ng/L, NO3+NO2 <4.4 mg/LCl 5,000–25,000; SO42−; Hg, Se, As; CaSO4 saturatedBio-treatment + sulphate precipitation; ZLD
Ash sluice / pond return1,500 – 5,000 µS/cmEPA ELG bottom-ash transport: zero discharge by 2025Trace metals (As, Se, B), high alkalinity, fly-ash leachateDry handling preferred; closed-loop
Coal-pile runoff500 – 3,000 µS/cmpH 6–9; TSS <30 mg/LAcidic from pyrite (FeS2) oxidation; Fe, Mn, sulphateNeutralisation + clarification
Demin regen / IX wastevariable (acid/caustic)pH 6–9 for dischargeHCl, NaOH, dissolved Ca/Mg/NaNeutralisation tank with mixed regen wastes
Plant area / oily drainsseawater or lowOil < 5–15 mg/LLube oil, hydraulic fluid, turbine oilAPI separator + coalescer / DAF

Cycles-of-concentration: The cooling tower water balance is N = Cblowdown/Cmakeup. Higher N cuts blowdown volume but raises scaling/corrosion risk. Practical envelope: N = 3–5 for poor makeup, 5–7 with softened/RO permeate, up to 10+ with full ZLD trains.

Treatment Process

Multi-Stage Approach

1

Raw Water Intake

Travelling screens and intake filtration to protect plant equipment from debris and aquatic life.

2

Clarification

LAMELLA separators for high-rate solids removal with compact footprint ideal for power plant installations.

3

Filtration

Self-cleaning filters for continuous operation with minimal maintenance and backwash water consumption.

4

FGD Treatment

Chemical precipitation and clarification for heavy metals and suspended solids removal from FGD blowdown.

5

Sludge Dewatering

Multi-disc screw presses for ash and FGD sludge dewatering to minimise disposal requirement.

Recommended Equipment

Products for Power Generation Applications

Self-Cleaning Filters

Automatic backwash filtration for cooling water makeup and side-stream filtration. Continuous operation with minimal maintenance.

Benefit: 24/7 operation, <1% backwash water

LAMELLA Separator

High-rate clarification for raw water pretreatment and FGD wastewater. Compact design saves valuable plant space.

Benefit: 70% smaller footprint

Chemical Precipitation

Heavy metals removal systems for FGD wastewater with automated chemical dosing and solids separation.

Benefit: Meet ELG compliance

Ash Sludge Dewatering

High-capacity multi-disc screw presses for ash and FGD sludge with low energy consumption and quiet operation.

Benefit: 50-70% disposal requirement reduction

Travelling Water Screens

Intake screening to protect pumps and heat exchangers from debris with automated cleaning and fish-friendly options.

Benefit: Protect critical equipment

SCADA & Control

Integrated automation for critical water treatment processes plants with remote monitoring, data logging, and integration with plant DCS.

Benefit: Full plant integration

Benefits & Efficiency Gains

Operational, Environmental & Economic Advantages

Operational Benefits

  • High reliability for continuous operation
  • Minimal maintenance requirements
  • Automated operation reduces labour
  • Plant DCS integration capability
  • Compact footprint saves space

Environmental Benefits

  • Meet ELG and discharge standards
  • Reduce water consumption
  • Minimise environmental discharge
  • Support zero liquid discharge
  • Lower chemical usage

Efficiency Gains

  • Avoid regulatory penalties
  • Reduce sludge disposal requirements
  • Lower maintenance requirements
  • Minimise downtime losses
  • Extend equipment life

Related Applications

Explore Other Industries We Serve

Industrial Pre-treatment

Pre-treatment solutions for industrial facilities.

View Pre-Treatment Solutions

Chemical Processing

Wastewater treatment for chemical manufacturing.

Chemical Processing Solutions

Oil & Gas Industry

Water treatment for oil and gas operations.

Oil & Gas Solutions

Mining & Minerals

Water treatment for mining operations.

Mining & Minerals Solutions

Site Off the Map?

Packaged, containerised, skid-mounted and research-station families engineered for sites with no road, no grid, no operator and no local supply chain.

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Industries We Serve

Our expertise spans multiple industries with sector-specific water treatment solutions.