A pilot test of the use of membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology for treatment of wastewater from the Bashneft-Ufaneftekhim oil processing complex and other enterprises around Ufa in Bashkortostan, Russia, has been launched by GE and Russian oil company Bashneft.
Strict discharge regulations, and the need to reuse the treated water, led Bashneft to choose GE‘s MBR, electrodialysis reversal, reverse osmosis and adsorption onto activated carbon for the pilot testing.
The use of a set of cutting-edge purification methods enables implementation of a closed-cycle principle and the minimization of water intake requirements. A distinctive feature of purification based on the GE technological process is the absence of preliminary clarification tanks and secondary clarifiers.
At the exit from the aeration tanks, the activated sludge is separated from treated water using ZeeWeed 500 ultrafiltration membranes. Dehydration of oil sludge, precipitation and excess sludge is performed with compact centrifuges.
The testing is being conducted in cooperation with the Institute of Petroleum Refining & Petrochemistry of the Republic of Bashkortostan as a part of preparations for modernizing biological treatment plants in the Bashneft-Ufaneftekhim branch. During the tests, which will continue until 30 June 2013, GE will demonstrate the technological feasibility of sewage purification in compliance with the strict requirements of environmental legislation of the Russian Federation.
“Bashneft focuses on protecting the environment from harmful industrial impacts. We believe that the company’s best-in-class oil processing complexity level has to have the best sewage water treatment system,” said Viktor Gantsev, senior vice president, OJSC Oil Processing Joint-Stock Company Bashneft for petroleum processing and petrochemistry. “And we hope that GE’s advanced technology will help to solve this problem and make the water of the Belaya River cleaner, which will be beneficial for all the people of Bashkortostan.”