GE Water & Process Technologies, a unit of General Electric Co., presented DuPont with an ecomagination Leadership Award in recognition for its work to improve environmental sustainability in the Netherlands. Through innovative water reuse efforts and actively meeting environmental and industrial demands, DuPont’s efforts produced positive results for its business and our environment, saving $292,100 and conserving 70 million gal of municipal water each year.
“Balancing business and environmental demands can be a challenge for industries, but it can also be an opportunity to benefit business, customers and society at large too,” said Jeff Connelly, vice president and general manger of operations, GE Water & Process Technologies. “GE is proud to award DuPont with an ecomagination Leadership Award—its efforts are a positive example of how business and the environment can work hand-in-hand.”
“We are delighted that our Dordrecht site’s achievements have been acknowledged by such a global leader in solving environmental challenges as GE,” said Jaap Mendel, country manager, DuPont Netherlands.
“Not only has this project provided us with considerable cost savings, but we have been able to reduce our environmental footprint by making minimal use of depleting raw materials—in this case, water—in our operations.”
GE awarded DuPont with an ecomagination Leadership Award for its innovative approach in addressing water and wastewater treatment at its Dordrecht Fluoroproducts plant. The plant was using a large amount of municipal water, equivalent to the amount consumed by 5,000 Dutch residents in a year. GE and DuPont strategically examined how to best conserve water used to cool heat exchangers during the production of Teflon and other fluoride-based materials at the plant. The examination resulted in the installation of an ecological cooling system that saves water by capturing purified groundwater that was being discharged into the nearby river.
In order to use the captured groundwater, which contained matter that could harm equipment, could reduce the plant’s cooling efficiency, and could require cumbersome cleaning, labor or even downtime, DuPont turned to GE’s Pacesetter Platinum technology. The technology ensures that the water used in the plant’s cooling process is the right quality needed in order to keep the plant productive.
GE’s Pacesetter Platinum technology automatically measures the turbidity and conductivity of the groundwater purification system outflow and performs automatic chemical dosing. If the turbidity or conductivity levels exceed a safe threshold, the Pacesetter Platinum system will automatically divert the groundwater purification system outflow to a buffer tank and turn on the municipal water feed. In addition to providing automated control, the system also provides offsite monitoring capability, as well as chemical and corrosion control treatments and solutions by GE.
In May of 2005, GE launched its company-wide “ecomagination” campaign, aimed at solving tough global problems, by bringing to market advanced technology that cost-effectively improves efficiency and reduces pollution. GE Water & Process Technologies works with corporations like DuPont to best address growing industrial and environmental demands, like water scarcity and water quality.
Source: GE Water & Process Technologies
