In the innovative research project intelWATT participates in PPCin the context of the development of research and innovation activities, recently completing the pilot plant for the recovery of water from the Cooling Tower discharges in Unit 5 of the Megalopolis NPP.

The research project intelWATT, “Intelligent Water Treatment Technologies for water preservation combined with simultaneous energy production and material recovery in energy intensive industries”, is funded by the HORIZON 2020 program of the EU. and aims to develop water treatment technologies and their application in industrial environments to increase recycling amounts and savings.

The intelWATT research project has been implemented since October 2020 with the participation of PPC and other 19 European organizations, including universities, research centers, industries and SMEs, under the coordination of the Laboratory of Materials and Membranes for Environmental Separations of the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology of of the National Center for Natural Sciences (EKEFE) Demokritos.

In the context of the implementation of the project, the pilot installation in Unit 5 of AHS Megalopolis aims at the technical solution of rational water management to save quantities from the existing water well system, as well as to increase the amount of recycling and reuse of water from cooling tower discharges , but also the reduction of the discarded quantities of water waste.

The pilot project operates with a maximum cooling tower effluent feed rate of 100 cubic meters per day, achieving over 99% effluent water recovery and reuse, combining innovative technologies such as ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration ( NF), low pressure reverse osmosis (RO), Membrane Distillation (MD), Membrane Crystallization (MCr), along with intelligent monitoring and control logic.

Through the evaluation of critical real data and the operation results of the pilot project in Unit 5 of the Megalopolis NPP, PPC gains further access to the research know-how to implement technological solutions in water and water waste management, while optimizing the proposed water treatment and reuse technologies in conditions and with characteristics of large-scale industrial facilities with the ultimate goal of the total recovery and reuse of water used in the electricity generation industry.

PPC Group: With an eye on a sustainable future for everyone

PPC is rapidly implementing its energy transformation, fully implementing the “Green Deal” in the production of electricity through strategic investments and partnerships in RES. PPC Group’s vision is to transform into an economically and environmentally sustainable, modern, digital company, achieving a leading position in the renewable energy sector, while maintaining the role of a valuable social partner, offering prosperity to society as a whole.

In the context of its overall transformation, remaining faithful to its environmental commitments, PPC collaborates with agencies and organizations to implement actions and implement sustainability practices that have a positive environmental footprint, while at the same time contributing to the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of U.N.

This specific action concerns operations with a positive sign for nature, confirming the group’s commitment to reducing the use of resources, as well as managing waste and natural systems, contributing to the goals (SDGs) #6 Clean Water and Sanitation, #9 Industry Innovation and Infrastructure, #12 Responsible Consumption and Production and #17 Collaboration with agencies for goals.