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Industrial RO plant for Power Plants

A single silica spike can pit turbine blades and force a ₹50-lakh unplanned outage.A dual-stage reverse-osmosis (RO) train keeps silica below 10 ppb, removes ≥ 99 % salts and gases, and cuts evaporation-pond OPEX by up to 30 %—all while positioning the station for Zero-Liquid-Discharge (ZLD) compliance.

RO Water Treatment in Power Plants: Critical Applications

RO Water Treatment in Power Plants: Critical Applications

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Boiler Feedwater – Prevents scaling/corrosion (ASME B&PV Code Section VI).

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Cooling-Tower Makeup – Dual-stage RO dropped blow-down flow by 58 % at an ABC 660 MW unit.

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Turbine Steam Purity – Keeps blade-deposit silica < 20 ppb.

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Flue-Gas Desulfurisation (FGD) – Provides high-purity spray water for SO₂ scrubbing.

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Demineraliser Pretreatment – Triples mixed-bed resin life.

Power-Plant RO System Design Specifications

Parameter Thermal Power Plants Combined-Cycle Plants
Capacity 50 000 – 500 000 GPD 20 000 – 200 000 GPD
Pressure 150 – 300 psi (10 – 20 bar) 100 – 250 psi
Recovery Rate 75 – 85 % 70 – 80 %
Output Quality Conductivity < 10 µS/cm Silica < 0.02 ppm

Advanced RO Process for Power Industry

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Clarification: Remove suspended solids (turbidity <1 NTU)

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Softening: Ion exchange for hardness removal

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Antiscalant Dosing: Prevent CaSO₄/Membrane scaling

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Dual-Stage RO: Primary + secondary arrays for 99.7% salt rejection

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Mixed Bed Polishing: Achieve <0.1 µS/cm conductivity

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Decarbonation: CO₂ removal for pH optimization

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Boiler Feedwater RO Systems: Technical Requirements

Materials – SS 316L or duplex-steel skids withstand 80 °C sanitisation.

Redundancy – N + 1 membrane arrays for 24 / 7 availability.

Monitoring – Real-time SDI, ORP, conductivity and TOC logging

Compliance – Follows EPRI Cycle-Chemistry Guidelines.

Zero Liquid Discharge Integration

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ZLD Configuration with RO

RO Concentrate → Brine Concentrator → Crystallizer → Solid Waste

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RO Reject Recovery

95-98% water reuse

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Cost Savings

30% reduction vs. evaporation ponds

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Compliance

Meets EPA Effluent Guidelines (40 CFR Part 423)

Five Operational Benefits of Power-Plant RO Systems

Fuel Efficiency

Fuel Efficiency

1 % scaling adds ~2 % fuel use; RO keeps tubes clean.

Maintenance Reduction

Maintenance Reduction

Eliminates acid boiler washes and downtime.

Water Conservation

Water Conservation

60 – 75 % less freshwater intake.

Turbine Protection

Turbine Protection

Silica < 20 ppb prevents blade erosion.

Carbon Filtration

Emissions Compliance

Supports mercury & arsenic capture (CCR Rule

Selecting Industrial RO Systems for Power Generation

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High-Pressure Capability – Up to 1 000 psi for seawater intakes.

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Automated Clean-in-Place – PLC-driven hot-water CIP extends membrane life.

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Energy-Recovery Devices – Turbochargers / PX cut RO power by 35 %.

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Modular Skids – Drop-in retrofits for brown-field stations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What silica level can RO maintain for turbine protection?

RO + mixed-bed polishing reliably delivers < 10 ppb—half the super-critical limit.

What TDS is ideal for beverage water?

• Bottled water: 10–50 ppm
• Brewing: < 100 ppm
• Soft drinks / CSD: < 10 ppm

Can RO handle seawater at coastal plants?

Yes—SWRO at 55 – 70 bar drops TDS from 35 000 ppm to < 500 ppm.

What’s the ROI on ZLD with RO?

Typical payback 2-4 years via avoided wastewater surcharges and raw-water fees.

Why use double-pass RO instead of single-pass?

Double-pass is needed for < 0.1 µS/cm conductivity in drum boilers > 1 000 psi.

How often are mixed-bed resins regenerated when RO pre-treats them?

With RO reducing ionic load, mixed-bed resins need regeneration only every 8-12 weeks—roughly one-third the frequency of non-RO systems.