Chapter 3

3.10 Techniques to control releases to water

Section 1.3.3 gives an overview of the different sources of waste water that can be found in a large
combustion plant. The waste water encountered in power plants is composed of polluted water arising
from the various LCP processes and rainwater from the site. This water has to be treated in waste water
treatment plants, where a reduction of pollutant concentrations is achieved. The following section
reflects the techniques that are normally used to treat the contaminated waste water streams before they
can be discharged to the aquatic environment.
The amount and the quality of the waste water and, correspondingly, the configuration of the waste
water treatment plant which is appropriate for the needs of a particular LCPs effluents, is site-specific
and depends on many parameters, including the:

type and composition of fuel

type of storage facilities for fuel and chemicals
type of fuel preparation
type of combustion processes type of cooling systems
type of chemical conditioning applied for boiler water and cooling water
quality of raw water available
type of water treatment systems
type of flue-gas treatment systems
nature of combustion by-products (fly ash, wet ash, FGD gypsum, etc.) and their management
practices (disposal, sale).

The individual waste water streams generated by the various operations in an LCP include:

process waste water in particular waste water from the FGD unit
collected rainwater run-off and fire fighting water
sanitary waste water

Due to different composition and quality (pollutants character and concentration), the abovementioned
streams are usually collected by separate drainage systems and are directed to separate destinations for
further treatment in dedicated waste water treatment plants (sanitary waste water in biological waste
water treatment plants, process waste waters and contaminated rainwater run-off in industrial waste
water treatment plants).
It becomes obvious that the design of the drainage systems is very important on the LCP site, as by
employing well designed drainage systems, the waste water management is optimised, achieving
economies in water consumption and the design and operation of the waste water treatment plant.
Waste water is designed to flow, as far as possible, by gravity through the drainage systems to the
various components of the waste water treatment plant, in order to avoid intermediate pumping and
associated energy consumption.
Waste water streams vary greatly in flowrates and are encountered either continuously or periodically.
Depending on their origin, the waste water streams contain different substances:
solid substances (e.g. suspended solids)
fluid substances (e.g. oils, oil-water emulsions)
water soluble substances (organic, inorganic).

Chapter 3

The waste water streams encountered most often in an LCP are listed below:
waste water from water treatment plants
waste water from the cooling circuit systems
waste water from other origins in steam generation process
waste water from flue-gas cleaning systems
sanitary waste water.

3.10.1 Waste water from water treatment plants

Typically, water is pretreated before use in different areas of the LCP plant. The type of pretreatments
carried out are softening and demineralisation. These pretreatments typically generate the following
waste waters:
From softening plants:
spray water from belt strainers (cleaning of surface water)
filtrate from sludge draining (without chemical additions)
filtrate from sludge draining (after flocculation and precipitation)
back flushing water from sand filters.
The waste waters arising from various parts of the softening plant are usually recycled back into the
process.
From demineralisation plants:
ion exchange (resins) regeneration effluents.

3.10.2 Waste water from cooling circuit systems

These mainly include the blowdown of wet cooling towers and the occasional drainage from the
evacuation of cooling towers basin. In once-through cooling systems inlet filter screen washings,
cooling water discharge temperatures and the concentration of biocides or other additives must be
considered.
Emissions from all types of cooling systems, including LCPs, to the environment, are dealt with in
detail in the Industrial Cooling Systems BREF and are not included in the scope of this LCP BREF.

3.10.3 Waste water from other origins of steam generation processes

blowdowns from drum-type steam generators

laboratory waste water and sampling
discharges from the water-steam cycle
discharges from district heating systems
condensate polishing plant regeneration effluents
ash and slag handling and removal systems effluents
boiler chemical cleaning effluents
boiler wet conservation effluents
washings of steam generators, air heaters, gas heaters, ESPs, DENOX, FGD plants and various
other equipment
oily effluents (dewatering of fuel oil storage and daily tanks, run-off from heavy fuel oil and/or
diesel oil treatment systems, turbine or diesel engine houses, transformer areas, etc.).

Chapter 3

3.10.4 Waste water from flue-gas cleaning systems

All wet-type flue-gas cleaning systems produce waste water that, due to the fuel and materials used,
contain heavy metals among other components. One of the main sources of waste water in this context
is the wet limestone scrubber that is used in a large number of power plants for desulphurisation of the
flue-gas, although this can be reduced by using fuels with a lower chlorine content. This results in a
reduction in the purge to the waste water treatment plant, which in turn reduces emissions to water. An
example of a conventional waste water treatment system is presented in Figure 3.41, but it should be
noted that there are many different types of systems, depending on the different national regulations
and site-specific factors.
The pH value of FGD waste water must be increased in order to precipitate heavy metals. This is
generally achieved using either lime milk or caustic soda, causing the formation of metal hydroxides.
By adding flocculents (iron(III)chloride), flakes are formed. The addition of coagulation aids
(polyelectrolyte), allows the agglomeration of individual flakes, so that a greater flake formation
ensues. The sludge is then pre-sedimented, drained and disposed of or co-combusted in case of slag tap
combustion. Part of the thins udge i isrecycled to the flocculation stage where the sludge particles serve
as initial crystallisation nuclei promoting more rapid flocculation.
The treated waste water from the pre-sedimentation stage can be supplied to a baffle plate thickener for
further sedimentation. The suspended micro-particles deposit on the inclined baffle plates. The sludge
falling off the plates is gathered at the lower point of the baffle plate thickener and can also be
recycled. The cleaned waste water is fed to the drain via the overflow of the baffle plate thickener,
provided the regulatory limit values are met. In addition, the pH value is not permitted to exceed the
range of 6 to 9.5, otherwise the water must be neutralised. If ammonia is present in the waste water it is
first fed to an ammonia stripping plant before it is discharged to the drains. In some processes, e.g. with
higher input of Hg because of cocombustion of wastes, it is customary to add also organic sulphide
(TMT 15) after addition of lime milk, precipitating heavy metals as sulphides, which is more effective
than using the hydroxide. The disadvantages, that the heavy metal sulphides (greater quantities) need to
be disposed of, because by co-combustion of these residues, the sulphur is released as sulphur dioxide
and Hg is released again.
Various plants treat FGD waste waters differently. Thus some companies use, e.g. flocculents and
flocculation aids, others use only flocculation auxiliaries and organic sulphide. There are, however,
also operators who use flocculents, flocculation auxiliaries and organic sulphide.

Chapter 3

Figure 3.41: FGD waste water treatment plant

[58, Eurelectric, 2001]

An example of an FGD waste water treatment plant is shown in Figure 3.40. FGD waste water is preneutralised in an agitator with the aid of lime slurry. The pH is further increased by additional dosing of
lime slurry in the second reactor. Initial flocculation and settling of heavy metal hydroxides occurs in
the circular concentration reactor tank. Polyelectrolytic solution is fed into the supply line to the
concentration reactor tank in order to avoid repulsion between hydroxide particles and to accelerate
sedimentation.
The treated water, with a pH of 6 to 9, may be transferred from the upper quiet zone of the circular
concentration reactor tank to the main water inlet. If the pH is above 9, it is corrected with an acid
additive, e.g. hydrochloric acid. Part of the slurry withdrawn from the concentration tank is fed as
contact slurry to support flocculation in the first agitator. This slurry acts as an accelerator for the
precipitation of the hydroxides. Most of the slurry from the agitator is temporarily stored in a slurry
container, dewatered in a filter press and finally stored in a bunker prior to disposal.

3.10.5 Sanitary waste water

This includes special waste waters originating form toilets and canteens. Current emission levels are
usually estimated at approximately 75 l/person/day. Emissions are characterised by high organic
content.
It is noted that waste oils (lubricating or working oils) are considered as solid wastes and they are
usually gathered separately and disposed off-site by an authorised contractor for further management
(e.g. incineration, regeneration, etc.).

Chapter 3

3.10.6 Waste water treatment techniques

In order to decide which are the best waste water management and treatment practices for a specific
LCP, a thorough assessment of the expected waste water streams has to be carried out. The waste water
must be characterised regarding the nature and concentrations of the pollutants and the pattern of the
expected flows from the various sources. Following that, a decision has to be taken as to the
configuration of the most appropriate waste water treatment plant for each specific case.
The removal of polluting substances from the waste water prior to discharge to the environment is
effected by the application of the appropriate combination of a wide range of physical, chemical and
biochemical processes, including:

filtration
pH correction/neutralisation
coagulation/flocculation/precipitation
sedimentation/filtration/flotation
dissolved hydrocarbon treatment
oil-water separation systems
biological treatment.

The selection of the appropriate treatment and/or management technique depends on the main quality
characteristics and volume of the waste water and required quality standards for the receiving waters
for the treated effluents.
Thus, effluents containing high amounts of suspended solids, present in LCPs burning solid fuels (ash
handling and removal system, slag extraction and removal system, boiler and air preheaters washing,
open fuel storage areas, etc.), are normally subjected to a primary settling stage for the removal of
heavier suspended solids. This is followed by flocculation, with coagulant and organic polymer dosing
aided by pH adjustment, before final settling and removal of the sludge. A final pH adjustment of the
treated effluent may be required before discharge to the receiving water.
Acid or alkali effluents (e.g. ion exchangers regeneration effluents, boiler cleaning chemicals, boiler
blowdown, etc.) need to be neutralised before discharge. Oily effluents arising from the fuel oil
treatment systems, leakage or dewatering of fuel oil storage facilities, unloading stations, transformer
area, etc., may contain high amounts of oil, which can be re-used. Therefore, a primary oil separation
stage is needed for the collection of these oils, normally carried out in gravity separation tanks
equipped with oil retention baffles.
The residual waste waters, which may still contain small amounts of oil in oil water e mulsion form,
are treated in API or lamella separators equipped with oil skimmers or using air flotation. Sanitary
waste water may be treated in a municipal sewerage system, if one is available. Otherwise, they may be
either discharged to a septic tank where small number of personnel are employed or treated in an onsite biological unit, normally of the extended aeration activated sludge type.
In certain cases, instead of being treated in the LCP waste treatment plant along with other effluents,
special waste waters (e.g. water containing hydrocarbons used for analysis in the laboratory) are
collected separately and disposed of offsite by an authorised contractor. The management of the
firewater, which occurs only in emergency situations, depends on the location of the fire. Such waters
are collected by the drainage systems corresponding to the fire location, retained in firewater retention
ponds and treated, if necessary, before discharge. Effluents from LCPs may be treated either separately
by stream, or using combined treatment techniques. Examples are given below.

Chapter 3

The issue of the water and waste water management is very important within an LCP. By optimising
the recycling of the various intermediate discharges in the plant, a significant reduction in overall water
consumption can be achieved, as well as minimising the final liquid effluent quantities that require
further treatment.
For example, in several cases it is possible to collect all waste water from the various discharge points
of the FGD plant and to reintroduce them into the process (scrubber) thereby practically avoiding any
FGD effluents. In addition, various waste water streams may be used for fly ash humidification instead
of service or raw water. Clean waste water downstream of the waste water treatment plant is usually
collected in retention ponds to supply water to points of consumption where the water quality demand
is adequate, e.g. limestone slurry preparation for FGD or for FGD gypsum and fly ash mixture
stabilisation prior to disposal in a landfill.

3.10.7 Other waste waters

Surface run-off water arises from the contamination of rainwater that is collected from building roofs,
paved areas and fuel storage (e.g. coal stoke piles). Contamination of rainwater occurs when materials
such as dust (coal particulates) from fuel storage, surface deposition, etc. or oils are washed into the
drainage system. The contamination of surface water can be prevented or minimised by the use of
sedimentation basins, good practice in the storage of fuel and other raw materials, as well as by good
maintenance, and cleaning of the whole plant.
Surface run-off may be collected separately. After a sedimentation step or chemical treatment it can be
re-used for other purposes in the production process, for instance for water sprays to prevent dust
formation from the storage of solid fuels.
In combustion plants, there are many other sources of waste water. Examples are: liquid effluents from
cleaning stations for trucks delivering fuel (e.g. trucks transporting peat) and other raw material;
sealing water from pumps; general operations, including the cleaning of equipment, floors, etc. These
liquid effluents are normally collected and treated. Water from the sanitary system is normally
discharged to the public sewerage system.
To reduce the concentration of water pollutants, end-of-pipe techniques such as neutralisation,
flocculation, sedimentation and filtration may be used. These techniques are normally used together in
a final or central on-site waste water treatment plant.