Canadian Oil Refinery Named Industrial Water Project of the Year

REGINA, Canada -- The first North American refinery to treat and recycle 100 percent of its wastewater has been named the Industrial Water Project of the Year at the annual Global Water Awards. The Co-op refinery complex (CRC) run by Federated Co-operatives Limited in Regina, Saskatchewan uses GE Water & Process Technologies’ advanced water recycling equipment to treat its wastewater. The refinery then recycles it for steam production, using it for heating, hydrogen production, to power equipment and for cooling towers. According to the Global Water Awards website, the CRC invested nearly $200 million (CAN) in low- and high-pressure membranes from GE, in addition to specialty chemicals and monitoring solutions. "The commissioning of the plant enabled the CRC to reduce its freshwater usage by 28 percent, and by becoming the first refinery in North America to recycle 100 percent of its wastewater for steam production, it was also able to reduce VOC emissions in its wastewater ponds, simultaneously solving the attendant odour problem," the website states. "The outstanding commitment to environmental sustainability is a enduring template for the entire oil refining industry." More from a GE press release: Several years ago, the refinery expanded its operations to produce 30,000 more barrels of oil per day (BPD) taking it from 100,000 BPD to a 130,000-BPD facility, which increased its water usage. The refinery’s current water source is a blend of well water and city water, and restrictions on water use mandated that the Co-op Refinery Complex find a new source of water. Water & Process Technologies offered a solution combining ZeeWeed* membrane bioreactor technology and a high-efficiency reverse osmosis system to recycle and reuse 2 million gallons of wastewater a day. In addition to the water reuse solution, Water & Process Technologies provides the refinery with wastewater specialty chemicals and monitoring solutions to provide system optimization. With a fully operational wastewater improvement project, the Co-op Refinery Complex’s reliance on raw water from the city of Regina aquifer will decrease by the equivalent of 3,100 households in Regina on an annual basis. By recycling 100 percent of its wastewater on-site, the Co-op Refinery Complex significantly decreases volatile organic compound emissions from its wastewater ponds and reduces the associated nuisance odors. Established in 2006 by Global Water Intelligence magazine, the awards recognize the most important achievements in the international water industry within several categories and reward those initiatives in the water, wastewater and desalination sectors that are moving the industry forward through improved operating performance, innovative technology adoption and sustainable financial models.