An 800 MW combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant in western Germany required a complete overhaul of its cooling water treatment system. The existing chemical dosing regime was outdated, cycles of concentration were limited to 3x, and blowdown volumes of 600 m³/day were being discharged to the municipal sewer at escalating surcharges. The plant needed to increase cycles to 8x minimum while recovering blowdown water for reuse.
RIEFILT provided manufacturer-independent Technical Advisory and Equipment Sourcing services. After evaluating 5 vendor proposals, RIEFILT recommended an integrated side-stream filtration, softening and RO-based blowdown recovery system that maximizes cycles of concentration while producing reusable permeate.
Makeup water demand fell from 1,800 m³/day to 630 m³/day, saving the plant €920,000 annually in water and sewer costs. The optimized chemistry program extended heat exchanger cleaning intervals from 6 months to 18 months. RIEFILT's independent sourcing saved 22% compared to the plant's incumbent vendor quote.
Power plants are often locked into single-vendor relationships for water treatment chemistry and equipment. RIEFILT breaks this dependency by providing transparent, manufacturer-independent evaluation of all viable options — ensuring the plant gets the best technology at the best price.
The advisory mandate included full lifecycle cost analysis, reference site visits, and contract negotiation support. RIEFILT's fee was recovered within 4 months through equipment cost savings alone.
