ecomagination

GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy and Global Nuclear Fuel (GNF), a joint venture of GE, Toshiba and Hitachi, have been working towards achieving GE’s ecomagination commitment to reduce our water footprint 20 percent by 2012. Already a new energy-efficient wastewater system at the Wilmington, North Carolina, site has reduced water usage by 25 million gallons annually, avoiding nearly 80 tons per year of CO₂ emissions and realizing annual savings of $160,000 in water and energy costs.

“We were pleased to find an economical way to meet the growing needs of our company while conserving the area’s freshwater supplies,” said Lori Butler, general manager of EHS at GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. “This project significantly reduced the physical footprint of the treatment system at the plant, while doubling the capacity of the wastewater system.”

Using GE’s ecomagination ZeeWeed® membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy is transforming up to 65,000 gallons per day of plant wastewater into a realiable supply of high quality, non-potable water. This treated wastewater effluent is reused in the facility’s cooling towers, an integral component of the campus heating, ventilating and cooling (HVAC) system. It also eliminates the use of groundwater for this purpose.

“Our commitment to delivering on our ecomagination goals is strong because it truly validates the relationship between water conservation, efficiency and economic growth,” said Jeff Fulgham, chief marketing officer, GE Water & Process Technologies. “This project is an excellent example of how virtually any company can reduce water usage and operating costs with GE’s broad portfolio of solutions.”