Cooling water for Barapukuria Power Plant

15 May 2012, 18:00 PM

Engr. S.A. Mansoor, Dhaka

An article on the above topic was published in a local English daily on May 6th on this issue. Interestingly, it seemed that the answer to the problems of water depletion in surrounding villages was not such a difficult matter! The article stated that the mine-mouth coal-fired power plant needs 1000 cusec of water for cooling daily. On the other hand, it was also stated that the mine pumps out 1500m3 of water every hour which is equivalent to 36000m3 water daily. It would have been better to put both the units of water flow in either meter cube or cusecs per day, for comparison. Further, it was stated that the water for cooling the power plant is supplied by 14 deep tube-wells at an average of 70 cusec each per tube-well daily. Normally, the power plant should recover at least 80 percent of the cooling water needed, and thus the logical shortfall of (1000-800) around 200cusecs of water daily needs to be provided. Further, it was also stated that 36000m3 of water pumped out of the mine daily, which can easily produce 32000m3 of boiler water suitable for the power plant daily. Nothing was said about this important aspect of salvaging the mine water for use in the power plant! This water can be filtered and treated and can produce boiler quality water. Such plant can easily be procured from boiler water softening plant suppliers who, based on the analysis of the mine water samples, can recommend the plant and equipment needed for producing boiler quality water. It does not need any consultant for design and procurement of such a plant. Unfortunately, nothing was mentioned about this mater either. Over all, it was an unclear and technically incomplete report on the gamut of the whole problem, to come to any sensible conclusion!