US water technology company Infinite Cooling is working with EDF to launch an innovative project aimed at reducing water consumption at NPPs as new regulations in France call for a 10% reduction in water consumption or abstraction by 2030.
The initiative is taking place at EDF’s 3,600 MWe Bugey NPP, where Infinite Cooling’s technology will capture water from cooling tower plumes. The Bugey plant currently comprises four operating 900 MWe pressurised water reactors. The site has also been selected by the France’s Nuclear Policy Council for the construction of two EPR2 reactors.
Cooling towers, the largest consumers of water in nuclear plants, could benefit from this technology, which is expected to recover 1-15% of the evaporated water depending on operating conditions. The reclaimed water, noted for its high purity, is ideal for reuse, reducing both water treatment costs and wastewater discharge.
The test phase, from August 2024 to March 2025, is taking place on a setup at the Bugey plant and will assess the technology’s performance in diverse environments. It will measure the amount of water recovered, the quality of the reclaimed water, and the system’s operational impact. The Infinite Cooling team will oversee the process, ensuring the solution meets the high standards required for widespread adoption across EDF’s cooling tower network.
” Our mission is to address one of the most urgent challenges in industrial processes – water scarcity,” said Infinite Cooling, CEO and Co-Founder Maher Damak. “The tests at Bugey are a pivotal step in demonstrating the power of our technology and its potential to enable sustainable water management in power plants worldwide.”
The technology uses an innovative process that captures fine water droplets in cooling tower plumes using an electrically charged collection mesh. The recovered water is more than 100 times purer than the circulating water in the cooling system. It can significantly reduce the need for water treatment and decrease wastewater discharge, resulting in cost savings and enhanced environmental performance.
The primary goals of the testing are to quantify the amount of recoverable water, evaluate the quality of the reclaimed water for reuse within the plant, and gauge the technology’s impact on overall tower performance. The project will also gather essential insights to guide the large-scale deployment of this solution, considering installation and operational factors.
