Jean-Noёl Reimeringer

CEO (till 2016)

Budapest Power Plant

Even if Hungary is considered a country rich in water, an environmentally conscious generator looks at water as a precious natural resource to be preserved. Therefore, BERT also keeps striving to improve water efficiency since energy generation is a very water intensive industry. At our Company, the recycling of technological waters within the process is based on the recirculation approach of the sustainable development philosophy, and this involves both environmental and business benefits.

Design and realisation of the recycling of technological waters at the power plants

Industry: Energy

Date: 2010

Water


Solutions of the macro-sustainability challenges

Improving water utility and adapting to the continuously changing circumstances and availability of water

Further targets:

What´s the solution?

The relationship between water and energy is an often mentioned context because energy generation is a very water intensive technology. Therefore, we keep on searching for opportunities to reduce the total amount of water consumption and to increase water efficiency and to recycle the used water in order to decrease the demand for fresh water. Depending on their possibilities and specificities, the power plant uses different solutions to reduce its water consumption. At some points we installed collection tanks where the used but further usable waters are recirculated, while elsewhere we directly return the water to the beginning of the process. The duration of realisation depends on the extent of the technical modification but it is usually feasible in 1-2 months.

Business connection

Realisation is based on sustainability, and there is an absolute long term intention behind this. The recirculation approach suggests that ‘waste’ produced during the process should be kept within the cycle and be re-used or recycled. So, this involves economic and technical efficiency at the same time in connection with the operation of a power plant. The entire solution clearly reduces the costs of Budapesti Erőmű Zrt, from which it follows that it is undeniably an eco-efficiency measure.

Results

At company level, the technological fresh water demand decreased by 50%, which means that in the aggregate we have to take this much less water for energy generation. Water saving also means an improvement in water efficiency. The cost management figures of the power plants show that less money is spent on water purchase, waste water discharge and chemical purchase because also less chemicals are necessary for production. With regard to water purchase and waste water discharge, the best indicator is the m3/year, while for chemical consumption the best indicators are the kg/year, l/year and HUF/year figures which reflect successful results.