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Mercury reduction brings market opportunity
Industry news
Filtration+Separation April 2007
Mercury reduction brings market opportunity
Hydranautics supplies membranes to Singapore plant
New regulations to reduce mercury emissions are creating a market for products and services of hundreds of millions of dollars per year and a five year market in excess of US$1 billion, says Mcilvaine’s air pollution management reports.
Membrane specialist Hydranautics has been selected to provide 9,100 ESPA2+ elements for 39 MGD (148,000 m3/d) secondary effluent wastewater plant on the island country of Singapore.
The US represents the bulk of the market, but there is a significant market in other countries as well, Mcilvaine says. Over the next three years, US power plants will have to spend over US$200 million just for continuous emissions monitors to measure mercury and over 25% will require power plants to reduce mercury on a faster time table than the national Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR). This rule would not require significant investment in control hardware
until 2015, but with State rules, an investment of more than US$100 million will be required in the next three years. By 2010 annual costs for mercury control will rise to US$400 million, and much of this will be for materials (e.g. activated carbon) and operation/maintenance costs, Mcilvaine says. The market in Europe will be smaller than that of the US and will be more concentrated in the waste incinerator segment. Nevertheless, power plants which combust sewage sludge along with coal will have to invest in mercury controls. Chinese power plants emit three times as much mercury as US plants, but China represents a good longer range potential. www.mcilvainecompany.com
Improved irrigation spurs crop growth Electric H2O, Inc, a subsidiary of Global Water Technologies, Inc, a water purification and services provider subsidiary, had completed initial testing of its ED2000 non-chemical agricultural water treatment technology. Before the 2006 growing season, EH2O had installed multiple units of ED2000 technology at a farm in northeastern Colorado which irrigates over 12,000 acres. The units were installed on irrigation systems to improve water efficiency and enhance the quality of the crops. As depicted by aerial photos and histograms, the crops treated with the ED2000s grew much faster and were more robust than the crops that were not treated, probably because of improved water infiltration into the soil of the treated fields. Third party analyses confirm the treated fields had more water available in the soil for the crops throughout the growing season.
“We are pleased to report that our technology met or exceeded its performance objectives for agricultural water enhancement,” said George Kast, CEO. “The treatment process conditioned the water for better absorption by the plants and soil, as well as minimized scaling for greater irrigation efficiency. EH2O plans to build on this success through further agricultural sales in 2007.” “This technology may also have a very positive impact on crops grown for ethanol production due to a higher quality feed stock produced through the use of the ED2000 treatment system,” he added. Agricultural water use in the US accounts for approximately 135 billion gallons of water per day. The availability and cost of irrigation water is now a very serious issue for farmers and ranchers in the Western United States and around the world. www.gwtr.com
Ulu Pandan is the fourth and largest NEWater project by the PUB (Public Utilities Board) that is designed to purify and reuse wastewater for industrial water applications. Hydranautics’ elements have previously been selected for three of the four existing NEWater plants including the Bedok and Kranji Water Reclamation Plants. These two facilities represent 19 MGD (72,000 m3/d) of water recycling capacity. The PUB’s NEWater initiatives were established to help
the country become more self-sufficient. ESPA2+ was reportedly selected for its high productivity and high rejection as well as its track record in treating municipal wastewaters. Hydranautics’ ESPA (Energy Savings Polyamide) membranes operate at lower pressures than competing RO elements, providing energy and operating cost savings. The ultra-high, active area membrane ESPA2+ elements produce 12,000 GPD (gallons of water per element per day) (45.4 m3/d) at 99.6% nominal salt rejection (99.5% minimum). The high area ESPA2+ element offers the best combination of low pressure and high rejection of any brackish water element available on the market today. www.membranes.com
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Filtration+Separation April 2007
Mercury reduction brings market opportunity
Hydranautics supplies membranes to Singapore plant
New regulations to reduce mercury emissions are creating a market for products and services of hundreds of millions of dollars per year and a five year market in excess of US$1 billion, says Mcilvaine’s air pollution management reports.
Membrane specialist Hydranautics has been selected to provide 9,100 ESPA2+ elements for 39 MGD (148,000 m3/d) secondary effluent wastewater plant on the island country of Singapore.
The US represents the bulk of the market, but there is a significant market in other countries as well, Mcilvaine says. Over the next three years, US power plants will have to spend over US$200 million just for continuous emissions monitors to measure mercury and over 25% will require power plants to reduce mercury on a faster time table than the national Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR). This rule would not require significant investment in control hardware
until 2015, but with State rules, an investment of more than US$100 million will be required in the next three years. By 2010 annual costs for mercury control will rise to US$400 million, and much of this will be for materials (e.g. activated carbon) and operation/maintenance costs, Mcilvaine says. The market in Europe will be smaller than that of the US and will be more concentrated in the waste incinerator segment. Nevertheless, power plants which combust sewage sludge along with coal will have to invest in mercury controls. Chinese power plants emit three times as much mercury as US plants, but China represents a good longer range potential. www.mcilvainecompany.com
Improved irrigation spurs crop growth Electric H2O, Inc, a subsidiary of Global Water Technologies, Inc, a water purification and services provider subsidiary, had completed initial testing of its ED2000 non-chemical agricultural water treatment technology. Before the 2006 growing season, EH2O had installed multiple units of ED2000 technology at a farm in northeastern Colorado which irrigates over 12,000 acres. The units were installed on irrigation systems to improve water efficiency and enhance the quality of the crops. As depicted by aerial photos and histograms, the crops treated with the ED2000s grew much faster and were more robust than the crops that were not treated, probably because of improved water infiltration into the soil of the treated fields. Third party analyses confirm the treated fields had more water available in the soil for the crops throughout the growing season.
“We are pleased to report that our technology met or exceeded its performance objectives for agricultural water enhancement,” said George Kast, CEO. “The treatment process conditioned the water for better absorption by the plants and soil, as well as minimized scaling for greater irrigation efficiency. EH2O plans to build on this success through further agricultural sales in 2007.” “This technology may also have a very positive impact on crops grown for ethanol production due to a higher quality feed stock produced through the use of the ED2000 treatment system,” he added. Agricultural water use in the US accounts for approximately 135 billion gallons of water per day. The availability and cost of irrigation water is now a very serious issue for farmers and ranchers in the Western United States and around the world. www.gwtr.com
Ulu Pandan is the fourth and largest NEWater project by the PUB (Public Utilities Board) that is designed to purify and reuse wastewater for industrial water applications. Hydranautics’ elements have previously been selected for three of the four existing NEWater plants including the Bedok and Kranji Water Reclamation Plants. These two facilities represent 19 MGD (72,000 m3/d) of water recycling capacity. The PUB’s NEWater initiatives were established to help
the country become more self-sufficient. ESPA2+ was reportedly selected for its high productivity and high rejection as well as its track record in treating municipal wastewaters. Hydranautics’ ESPA (Energy Savings Polyamide) membranes operate at lower pressures than competing RO elements, providing energy and operating cost savings. The ultra-high, active area membrane ESPA2+ elements produce 12,000 GPD (gallons of water per element per day) (45.4 m3/d) at 99.6% nominal salt rejection (99.5% minimum). The high area ESPA2+ element offers the best combination of low pressure and high rejection of any brackish water element available on the market today. www.membranes.com
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