Earlier in March, GE announced that it will provide the first wastewater treatment system for use in a U.S. coal mine. CONSOL Energy will install the technology later this year at its Buchanan 1 facility in Oakwood, VA – one of the nation’s largest underground coal mines.

GE’s zero liquid discharge (ZLD) system is capable of treating 1,600 gallons of water per minute. Using hollow-fiber ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis, it will remove dispersed and dissolved impurities from the mine’s high-salinity wastewater.

The resulting concentrated brine will then treated through thermal evaporation and crystallization, creating crystallized waste salt and allowing reuse of up to 99% of the treated water within the mine. The system will benefit CONSOL Energy by decreasing the amount of freshwater that it currently sources and transports from external sites.
 
The treatment of wastewater from coal mines represents a tremendous, and largely untapped market. The high level of total dissolved solids and total suspended solids in the wastewater causes frequent membrane fouling, which drives up operation and maintenance costs. GE entered the market in North America by targeting one of the region’s largest underground coal mines. So, if the company’s ZLD system proves cost effective in the long run, GE will have a strong advantage in the mining wastewater market.

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