A new partnership between SUEZ – Water Technologies & Solutions and the sensor technology experts at ROCSOLE takes aim at helping upstream and downstream oil & gas companies improve control and performance of electrostatic coalescers, optimizing OPEX, minimizing downtime, and protecting assets installed downstream of desalter operations.The two companies have teamed up to develop a new “Smart Desalter Controller,” a digital monitoring solution which combines SUEZ’s design & build, process and operation expertise with ROCSOLE’s proprietary profiler, software, and data analysis capabilities. The goal is to help improve operations of companies in the oil and gas sector by solving the dynamic challenges of desalter operations.Changing market conditions and regulatory shifts cause refineries to adjust operations to accommodate different qualities of crude. But shifts in crude oil quality can impact desalter operations, which are already among the most dynamic and unpredictable assets in oil and gas operations. Poor desalter performance can not only shorten the lifespan of downstream operations through corrosion and fouling, but can also lead to operational deterioration or increased chemical consumption.The profiler solution selected by SUEZ is an instrument developed by ROCSOLE which enables the accurate measurement and control of the distribution of the fluids - water, oil, gas, emulsion, sand, sludge - in a desalter in real-time. This high-performance sensor, which does not require any additional calibration after start-up, can locate and monitor emulsion layers, analyze dispersion bands such as water cut, detect solids, and detect interfaces. High quality desalter insights allow operators to control the impact of any operating parameter and to fine-tune the asset and its chemical program in real time and prevent unplanned downtime.

The presence of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking and wastewater water systems has generated major media headlines and spurred a rapidly-changing shift in regulatory attention. As the EPA and state environmental regulators develop new regulations, industrial site managers and municipal authorities across the U.S. are beginning to plan for changes to their treatment processes. A new white paper from SUEZ – Water Technologies & Solutions demonstrates the importance of balancing current mandates with future requirements in the selection of treatment technologies.“PFAS issues are uniquely complex and both industrial and municipal facilities are facing huge challenges as they determine the best way to identify, treat and dispose of these chemical compounds.” said Kevin Cassidy, executive vice president of engineered solutions at SUEZ – Water Technologies & Solutions. “This white paper summarizes a best approach for characterizing site conditions, selecting technologies, and designing treatment solutions. We hope it helps site operators find the right path forward in their efforts to remove PFAS from wastewater streams and water sources.”Around since the 1940s, PFAS are man-made chemicals used in a wide array of industrial and commercial products such as firefighting foam and non-stick cookware.. The chemicals enter the environment from industrial wastewater discharges at facilities that either make or use PFAS in the manufacturing of other products; and through discharges of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) at oil refineries, airfields, firefighting training facilities, and military bases. Due to chemical properties that make them highly resistant to biodegradation, PFAS compounds persist in the environment and accumulate in the human body.The white paper, “Addressing PFAS Contamination: Treatment Considerations for Complex Applications,” provides an overview of PFAS, highlights the issues and emerging risks of PFAS substances and examines the considerations fortreating PFAS. The white paper highlights the:overview of PFAS and use in the U.S.existing and evolving regulationsimportance of analyzing complex waste streamsavailable treatment technologiestreatment considerations and strategieschallenges to the destruction of PFASThe paper also contains two case studies that highlight the complexity of PFAS remediation and the need for customized solutions at each site.Download the white paper here.

SUEZ’s ZeeLung* technology has been selected to help restore wastewater treatment capacity and achieve a high level of nitrification at the City of Toronto’s North Toronto Treatment Plant (NTTP). ZeeLung Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactor (MABR) system was selected to demonstrate its potential to enhance treatment in a compact footprint while also reducing energy consumption.The North Toronto Plant has produced a high-quality effluent for the better part of a century. However, like many plants in Canada, it is now required to achieve a higher level of treatment than it was originally designed for. The plant must achieve a high level of nitrification to produce a non-acutely toxic effluent and would require upgrades to operate again at its original design capacity of 45.5MLD.The City realized that the upgrade project was an opportunity to evaluate innovative technologies for reduced energy consumption and intensified treatment at Toronto’s smallest plant where the inlet flow rate can be controlled. If the evaluation goes well, the MABR technology will enable the City to meet its treatment goals in a compact footprint, and obtain valuable input for consideration in future capital upgrades at the City’s larger wastewater treatment facilities.Consulting engineer (CIMA+) for the City conducted a preliminary design and economic evaluation that showed an MABR upgrade would save 60% on capital cost and 55% on lifecycle cost compared to a conventional activated sludge upgrade.To evaluate in real-world conditions, the City of Toronto is upgrading the aeration tanks at the North Toronto Treatment Plant and installing ZeeLung MABR in two of the tanks. Performance testing will be carried out and the MABR technology will be assessed compared to the same-sized conventional activated sludge system being operated in the remaining tanks.“We are confident in the ZeeLung technology for treatment intensification with lower energy consumption than conventional activated sludge,” said Kevin Cassidy, executive vice president engineered systems for SUEZ – Water Technologies & Solutions. “Because of its ability to maximize treatment capacity in existing tank volumes, the MABR system is an ideal choice for retrofits of this type to help more mature plants serve growing populations.”In conventional wastewater treatment, 60% of the energy used is consumed by blowers tasked with distributing oxygen necessary for biological processes and nutrient removal. With ZeeLung technology, oxygen is delivered without bubbles through molecular diffusion, which reduces the energy required for oxygen transfer by a multiple of four. Wastewater treatment plants significantly reduce their energy footprint while also increasing capacity and improving treatment quality.The project is being delivered and constructed by Bennett Mechanical Installations and will be their second MABR system installation with SUEZ in Ontario. Based on the upgrades required at the facility it is expected to commission in 2023.