The saline wastewater treatment plant of Ilam Petrochemical Complex in Ilam Province, which uses the zero-liquid discharge system, was launched on Sunday.
“The most advanced chemical wastewater treatment plant in the country has been constructed by domestic experts to help preserve the environment and recover 100% of the waste produced from petrochemical processes in Ilam Petrochemical Company,” the managing director of the company said at the inauguration ceremony.
“Completed in 26 months at a cost of $6.8 million, the plant has a capacity to treat 35.5 cubic meters of wastewater per hour,” Seyyed Gholamhassan Garshasbi was also quoted as saying by the Oil Ministry’s news service.
Water is a key resource for the operation of chemical and petrochemical production processes. Distillation, liquid-liquid extraction, washing operations and cooling systems are examples of processes that use water intensively in these industries.
Zero liquid discharge can be defined broadly as a process to achieve maximum water recovery from a wastewater source that would otherwise be disposed of.
The ZLD system will virtually eliminate the return of wastewater from the manufacturing sector into the river and prevent the deterioration of natural resources.
The drivers for zero liquid discharge include a growing concern by the public about the impact of such discharges on the environment, and in many areas of the world, water scarcity.
ZLD system is deemed useful for complexes seeking to reuse their wastewater, though it would be better to adopt strategies that help curb water consumption. This would be especially helpful in complexes far from major resources like sea.
Founded in 2004, Ilam Petrochemical Company is an olefin plant located in western Iran, which produces a wide range of products, including ethylene, high density polyethylene, crystal melamine, ammonia sulfate and sulfuric acid.
Indigenized Catalyst
The company has also successfully used the catalyst made by the Petrochemical Research and Technology Company in its high-density polyethylene (HDPE) unit, Garshasbi said.
“The use of indigenized catalyst has helped the company save $6 million, which would otherwise be spent on importing the item from countries like China or Japan,” he added.
The catalyst was previously imported but due to the US sanctions, the country faced difficulties. Therefore, experts and engineers at PRTC acquired the knowhow for producing the catalyst.
Referring to the cost of producing the catalyst domestically at about 70% of the cost of foreign counterparts, he said that in view of the success of the catalyst’s use in the company, the construction of a catalyst unit in the complex has been placed on the agenda.
According to Garshasbi, Ilam Petrochemical Company’s annual demand for catalysts is about 30 tons.
The HDPE unit, which was launched in 2013, originally had an HDPE production capacity of 40 tons per hour, which has increased by 10% this year.
Polyethylene is the world's most versatile and widely produced polymer. High-density polyethylene is a thermoplastic polymer produced from monomer ethylene. Commonly recycled, it is used for producing plastic bottles, corrosion-resistant pipes, geo-membranes and plastic lumber.
HDPE is also used for producing PE-100 pipes that have higher and long-term durability with applications in oil, gas, water and wastewater systems.
