MED evaporator installation in the PGG Ziemowit mine and start-up of the pilot system – May 5, 2022

On May 5, 2022, one more part of the innovative system for the treatment of mining procedures saline effluents was transported to the LIFE Brine-Mining plant. The Multi Effect Distillation Evaporator was added to the project’s process train, in the town of Lędziny, in southern Poland, to recover clean water and concentrate NaCl solution. The Evaporator was connected to the other technologies and the first trials of the system’s operation were conducted! Technicians and members of the companies participating in the project (LENNTECH, THERMOSSOL, TITANSALT) and representatives of other project beneficiaries (GIG, SUT, NTUA, SEALEAU) were gathered at the site to elaborate on the system’s connection and integration. Besides the containerized evaporator technologies, two more containers were added to the LIFE Brine-Mining site: a sanitary container, and an office container. Electricity and wastewater connections of the containers were also completed. The placement of the MED evaporator, the sanitary container, the office container, and the submerged pump that will transfer brine from the pond to the feed tank container of the plant can be seen in the photos below.

Figure 1: Placement of the containerized MED evaporator in the LIFE Brine-Mining plant by crane

Figure 2: The LIFE Brine-Mining plant. From left to right: 1st container: the MED evaporator, 2nd container: the steam generator, 3rd container: membrane technologies, 4th container (yellow color): stores and transfers the coal mine wastewater to the plant, 5th container: ultrafiltration unit

Figure 3: Placement of a submerged pump to the pond

Figure 4: Sub-merged pump in the pond for brine transfer from the pond to the storage tanks inside the feed tank container

Figure 5: The interior of MED evaporator (THERMOSSOL)

Figure 6: The steam generator providing steam to the evaporator, and tanks for the storage of the inlet and the outlet of the evaporator (THERMOSSOL)