Production processes in many heavy industries, such as at oil refineries, chemical and metallurgical plants, generate the high temperatures that make cooling circuits vital. And most heavy industries use water for cooling their production machinery, either directly or indirectly.
Cooling towers, using evaporation to extract heat from the air, are vital components for the stability, safety and efficiency of industrial processes. Any change in cooling water that impacts temperature or pressure has the potential to affect a plant’s performance. The slightest interruption can cause very serious accidents.
Cooling accounts for up to 60% of water use at industrial sites.
In parts of the world where water resources are scarce, optimizing cooling operations and maximizing water reuse helps industries to maintain their operating licenses and avoids conflicts with other water users in the same region.
We leverage our long experience of working with industrial customers
We can take charge of every aspect of cooling circuits: water quality, obviously, as well as the use of water and energy in cooling towers.
We are constantly innovating to avoid the potential health risks, from Legionnaire’s disease, that cooling towers represent. We have the expertise to identify which chemical treatments are most suitable, and the optimal concentrations and contact times needed to control proliferation of legionella in cooling towers.
- Optimized operating costs, particularly for energy
- Better control of yields
- Enhanced plant safety and system reliability
- Smaller water footprint with no impact on performance
Are you are an industrial customer? What benefits does this bring you?
We did it!
China
In 2007, we were tasked by one of China’s leading chemical companies, Tianjin Soda, to design, finance, build and operate all water-related installations at its Tianjin plant. Over 150,000 cubic meters of water pass through the site’s three cooling circuits every hour. We guarantee safe, reliable and cost-effective operations at the plant. And we also optimize water use, with a 60% reuse rate that limits the impact on local water resources.
South Africa
We have provided water treatment services to the ArcelorMittal steel works in Vanderbijlpark since 2012. Improving the performance of cooling systems has a direct impact on the speed and efficiency of the steel-making process. We acted swiftly to improve water quality, carrying out a complete review of the choices and concentrations of chemicals used. We also reinforced the site’s health and safety management by conducting a comprehensive audit of exposure to legionella risks.
South Korea
Kumho Chemical, South Korea’s premier manufacturer of resin and rubber, tasked us with providing outsourced operations and maintenance services for the cooling systems at its four production plants. The goal was to reduce costs without compromising performance. We cut the amount spent of purchasing chemicals by 12%, reduced the amount of water used and increased the efficiency of the cooling systems. By lowering the amount of energy used, Kumho Chemical was able to meet its quota for indirect emissions of CO2.