Conservation - Reducing Water Usage

The various initiatives taken up include installing a fin-fan heat exchanger, rain water harvesting, increasing cycles of concentration in cooling towers, pumping seepage water, cascading use of water, zero waste water discharge and more.

The various strategies adopted by the company for recycling and reusing water included working for zero discharge, developing hydrophobia for water in unwanted places, eliminating all open drains, optimising/loading cooling towers to their 100%, reducing evaporation losses, radiator/air cooling, eliminating flash losses in steam usage, eliminating wastage, treating sewage and rain water harvesting. 

 Some of the initiatives taken up are, recirculation of fresh water from overhead tank for compressor cooling, reduction of sealing water in couch by use of anti friction bearing, refurbishing of steam and condenser circuit, sequencing of coloured laminating grade making, use of new generation centri-cleaner system, reduction of leakage of glandsealing water through use of mechanical seals, use of highly efficient imported vacuum pumps, reduction in consumption of make up water in cooling water, introduction of reverse osmosis system, utilisation of treated effluent water for irrigation and more.

Water conservation has been carried out through establishing an overall water balance, reducing at source, reusing in other beneficial applications after treatment (land scaping, toilet flushing, cooling tower applications and civil constructions), and recycling back to process applications after appropriate treatment.

This presentation explains the work of Indian Farmers' Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) in conserving water, in its industrial processes, through recycling and reducing water usage. Methods used were increasing cycle of concentration of cooling, recycling of turbine condensate, installing water spraying system in guard pond, effluent treatment based on steam stripper and reuse in processes, and rainwater harvesting.

This has been possible through initiatives such as effluent treatment, process optimisation of DM Plant operation to reduce regeneration, reduction in evaporation by optimisation of CT fan operation according to heat load, recirculation of vacuum pumps seal cooling water, recirculation of steam condensate, reducing backwash frequency, recirculation of boiler blow down water, optimisation of COC and CR water circulation rate and more.

This has been possible through initiatives such as putting in end hose control systems into use, replacing raw water points with treated ones, providing push type taps in toilets, installing leak/spill control clamps, rationalising wash points, mechanising tray cleaning, optimising water pressure, improving condensate recovery, introducing sprinkler/drip irrigation for its gardens, rainwater harvesting, wastewater treatment and more.

Specific methods used were automation of localized water storage system, elimination of water wastage by providing timer for water supply, constructing pond for harvesting rain water, optimisation of paint sludge pit cleaning, installation of screw compressors without cooling tower compressors, installation of spot cooling system, inst

The company has achieved this through recycle and reuse of wastewater, reducing water consumption by process changes, improving water efficiency in existing processes, implementing zero discharge effluent and reverse osmosis projects, reducing soft water consumption, eliminating water softener usage and using a new liquid surface conditioner.

 This has been carried out through strengthening its water monitoring system by installation of water meters at source points, recycling of effluent of reject pit discharge to abandoned mine pit, zero effluent discharge by providing sedimentation tanks and re-utilisation of effluent. Apart from water, work was also done on reducing Greenhouse gas emissions.