Once the technology is fully operational, the Co-op Refinery Complex in Regina, Saskatchewan, will be the only refinery in North America to recycle all of its wastewater for steam production, which is used for heating, hydrogen production, to power equipment and for cooling towers.
Several years ago the refinery expanded its operations to produce 30,000 more barrels of oil per day (BPD) 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 meant that the Co-op Refinery Complex had to find a new source of water.
GE combined its ZeeWeed membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology and a high-efficiency reverse osmosis system to recycle and reuse two million gallons of wastewater a day. In addition to water reuse, GE provides the refinery with wastewater specialty chemicals and monitoring solutions to provide system optimization.
