North West Redwater (NWR) Partnership has announced that it will make use of GE’s Water & Process Technologies for its new Sturgeon refinery in Alberta.
Water & Process Technologies provided an innovative solution to meet NWR’s sustainability and environmental goals as well as the province’s policies.
NWR sought the use of GE’s Water & Process Technologies as the best way to reduce water usage in the refining process and as a way of minimizing its environmental impact on the North Saskatchewan River.
To minimize the use of freshwater, Water & Process Technologies will provide efficient water treatment systems with process water from the refinery being treated and recycled multiple times. Surface water runoff from the facility will be contained in retention ponds and used for process purposes to reduce water withdrawal from the North Saskatchewan River. The ultrafiltration and membrane bioreactor technology allow NWR to meet recycling challenges. Chemistry and on-site technical support from Water & Process Technologies will ensure that the facilities’ water balance targets are met and maintain the reliability of its various assets by protecting from deposition and corrosion.
“The Sturgeon refinery is the first new refining facility to be built in Canada in almost 30 years’ time. For this greenfield project, it is our mission to process Alberta bitumen to add value to this local resource, but to do so in a responsible and sustainable manner. With the help of GE’s water and wastewater chemical treatment technologies, the Sturgeon refinery project will enable us to recycle wastewater and meet stringent discharge regulations,” said Kerry Margetts, chief operating officer, North West Redwater Partnership.
The Sturgeon refinery project is the world’s only refinery designed from the ground up to incorporate gasification and a carbon capture and storage solution while producing cleaner, high-value products to meet North America’s low-carbon standards.
“Oil processing and production requires an enormous amount of water. By treating the plant’s wastewater and recycling it for reuse within the refinery, NWR will decrease its freshwater dependency on the North Saskatchewan River and refine the widely available bitumen in an environmentally friendly and responsible way,” said Amy Ericson, global leader, chemical and monitoring solutions at GE’s Water & Process Technologies.
