March 2022

Water Management

Year 2022

Water and Wastewater Management

“Water” is one of the essential resources required for human living. During the past decades, the rapid economic growth of Thailand has elevated water demand in all sectors, while drought and flooding problems due to climate change and deforestation have increased at the same time. A good water management program is the key to confronting this situation.

EGCO Group realizes such importance of water management and has therefore determined a full cycle water management scheme to promote the most efficient internal water usage following the 3Rs Water Management Principle that comprises Reduce, Reuse and Recycling, as well as monitoring the quality of wastewater on a regular basis.

Water Reduction by Increasing Water Reuse Cycles in the Cooling Tower of EGCO Cogen Power Plant

During the past years, EGCO Group has implemented the project to minimize water consumption in the power plant focusing on optimizing water usage as much as possible. In 2022, EGCO Cogen Power Plant initiated the project to increase water reuse cycles in the cooling tower of the power plant. The objective of this project is to minimize wastewater discharge from the blowdown cooling tower by increasing the number of water cycles in the water treatment system. This project helps reduce the costs of raw water and chemical usage in cooling towers, as well as decreasing scaling and calcium and manganese accumulation in the system.

Benefits of the Project

  • Reduction of raw water usage in the power plant.
  • Reduction of chemicals used in cooling towers.
  • Reduction of cooling tower management costs.

Implementation Approach

  • Increase the number of water treatment cycles in the cooling tower from 8 cycles to 9.5 cycles.

2022 Performance

19,956 m3 reduction of water consumption.

160,000 baht cost reduction due to chemicals used in the cooling tower.

400,000 baht cost reduction due to decreasing water consumption.

Wastewater Treatment for Reusing Water in the Power Plants

All power plants overseen by EGCO Group have efficiently implemented water management plans and wastewater treatment processes with the target to optimize water consumption to the full extent. For example, Ban Pong Power Plant and EGCO Cogen Power Plant reuse the treated wastewater from the final ponds to water their gardens and clean the floor within their facilities, which helps cut down the cost of water consumption of the plants.

Benefits of the Project

  • Reduce the amount of wastewater discharged into public water bodies.
  • Reduce the cost of water usage of the power plants.

Implementation Approach

  • Reuse the treated wastewater from the wastewater treatment system within the power plant area.

2022 Performance

Ban Pong Power Plant: 17,685 m3 of water was reused.

EGCO Cogen Power Plant: 99,939 m3 of water was reused.

Ban Pong Power Plant: 82,412 baht reduction in water cost.

EGCO Cogen Power Plant: 1,998,780 baht reduction in water cost.

Reuse of Treated Wastewater within Khanom Power Plant

The objective of reusing treated wastewater within Khanom Power Plant project is to optimize water consumption. Treated wastewater is collected in a pond for further usage including growing aquatic plants and watering trees and gardens around the power plant.

Benefits of the Project

  • Reduce the amount of wastewater discharged into public water bodies.
  • Reduce the cost of water usage of the power plant.

Implementation Approach

  • Reuse the treated water from the wastewater treatment system within the power plant area.

2022 Performance

8,822 m3 of water was reused within Khanom Power Plant.

35,288 baht reduction in water cost of Khanom Power Plant.

Reuse of Treated Wastewater within Quezon Power Plant (QPL) and San Buenaventura Power Plant (SBPL)

Treated wastewater from San Buenaventura Power Plant (SBPL) and Quezon Power Plant (QPL) is utilized within the plants for the following purposes.

  • Spraying on the bottom ash handling system (BAHS) and on the road within the plants to prevent dust dispersion.
  • Cleaning condensers.
  • Reducing the temperature of exhaust gas from an electrostatic precipitator (ESP).
  • Using water in reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment system.

Benefits of the Project

  • Reduce the amount of wastewater discharged into public water bodies.
  • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from wastewater.

Implementation Approach

  • Reuse the treated wastewater from the wastewater treatment system within the power plant area.

2022 Performance

A total of 81,067.36 m3 of water was reused at Quezon and San Buenaventura Power Plants

16.78 tons of CO2e of greenhouse gas emissions were avoided due to reusing treated wastewater at Quezon and San Buenaventura Power Plants.

Year 2021

Sustainable Water

Water Measures at BLCP Power Plant

BLCP Power Plant has given importance to efficient water management by installing desalination reverse osmosis system with 4000 cubic meter per day capacity which could replace the entire amount of primary raw water required by the power plant during drought crisis.

In addition, the power plant has initiated the project to reuse treated water in production process and domestic usage e.g. plant watering at the average amount of 474,135 cubic meter per year in order to promote water resource conservation.

Reuse of Water at Quezon Power Plant

Quezon Power Plant has clearly shown its intention to manage water resources within the facility to its full potential by reusing treated water for the following purposes.

  • Use of 5,151.16 cubic meter of treated water from clarifier basin for producing water for domestic use at reverse osmosis unit to replace primary raw water during start up process of the power plant.
  • Use of 36,198.09 cubic meter of treated water at spray dryer absorber to reduce gas temperature before entering electrostatic precipitator.
  • Use of 36,198.09 cubic meter of treated water at spray dryer absorber to reduce gas temperature before entering electrostatic precipitator.

It could reduce 45,711.56 cubic meter of water consumption in 2021 and avoid the emission of 9.46 MtonCO2e of greenhouse gases.

Water Reuse at San Buenaventura Power Plant (SBPL)

SBPL Power Plant is committed to manage its water resources within the plant to its full potential by reusing treated water for the following purposes.

  • Use of 138.84 cubic meter of treated water from clarifier basin in condenser cleaning.
  • Use of 17,965 cubic meter of treated water from treated effluent pond (TEP) to spray on ash pile to reduce dust dispersion.
  • Use of 1,607.31 cubic meter of treated water to spray on the road to reduce dust.

Overall, in 2021, SBPL Power Plant reduced 19,711.15 cubic meter of water consumption and avoid the emission of 4.08 MtonCO2e of greenhouse gases.

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