Nuclear

EDF, Infinite Cooling partner up to reduce water consumption in nuclear plants

Testing at a French nuclear plant aims to quantify the amount of recoverable water, evaluate the quality of the reclaimed water for reuse within the plant and gauge the technology’s impact on overall cooling tower performance.
EDF, Infinite Cooling partner up to reduce water consumption in nuclear plants
(Image credit: Lukáš Lehotský on Unsplash)

Infinite Cooling, a water recovery technology company, is working with EDF, the world’s largest nuclear power producer, to launch a project aimed at reducing water consumption in nuclear power plants.

The initiative is taking place at EDF’s 3.6 GW Bugey Nuclear Power Plant in France, where Infinite Cooling’s technology will capture water from cooling tower plumes. Cooling towers, which are the largest consumers of water in nuclear plants, could benefit from this technology, which the companies expect to recover between 1% and 15% of the evaporated water depending on operating conditions.

The reclaimed water, which the companies noted for its high purity, can then be reused, which could reduce both water treatment costs and wastewater discharge.

The testing phase, running from August 2024 to March 2025, is taking place on a test setup at the Bugey Nuclear power plant and will assess the technology’s performance in multiple environments and measure the amount of water recovered, the quality of the reclaimed water, and the system’s operational impact. The Infinite Cooling team will oversee the process, with the intent of ensuring the solution meets the standards required for widespread adoption across EDF’s cooling tower network.

“Working closely with EDF marks a significant milestone for Infinite Cooling. Our mission is to address one of the most urgent challenges in industrial processes—water scarcity,” said Maher Damak, CEO and Co-Founder of Infinite Cooling. “The tests at Bugey are a pivotal step in demonstrating the power of our technology and its potential to enable sustainable water management in power plants worldwide.”

Infinite Cooling’s technology uses a process that captures fine water droplets in cooling tower plumes using an electrically charged collection mesh. This recovered water, which the company claims is more than 100 times purer than the circulating water in the cooling system, could reduce the need for water treatment and decrease wastewater discharge volumes, resulting in cost savings and enhanced environmental performance.

The primary goals of the testing are to quantify the amount of recoverable water, evaluate the quality of the reclaimed water for reuse within the plant, and gauge the technology’s impact on overall tower performance. Additionally, the project will gather insights to guide the large-scale deployment of the solution, considering installation and operational factors.