영국 국영기업 Thames Water사가 최근 Calgon Carbon사의 유럽 지사인 Chemviron사와 음용수 처리를 위해 사용되는 활성화 탄소를 개발하는 10년 기간의 계약을 맺었다고 발표했다.

전문가들은 이번 계약의 가치가 약 1100만 파운드로 예상되는 연간 활성화 탄소 생산량에 따라 변동될 것으로 추측하고 있다.

 Chemviron Carbon사는 사용되는 탄소를 버밍험 근교에 위치한 자사의 팁톤(Tipton) 플랜트에서 재활성화 할 것이며 이를 위해 2014년 완공될 950만 달러 규모의 시설 개선 및 확장 공사에 돌입할 예정이다.

UK major utility Thames Water has awarded Calgon Carbon's European operating group, Chemviron, a 10-year contract to reactivate spent activated carbon used to treat drinking water.

The value of the contract is dependent upon the amount of carbon that is reactivated annually, which is expected to be approximately 11 million lbs (5,000 MT).

Chemviron Carbon will reactivate the spent carbon at its Tipton plant (Tipton) near Birmingham, U.K., following a $9.5-million renovation and expansion of the facility, which is expected to be completed in 2014.

Once granular carbon is saturated or the treatment objective is reached, it can be recycled, by thermal reactivation, for reuse. Reactivation involves treating the spent carbon in a high temperature reactivation furnace to over 800°C. During this treatment process, the undesirable organics on the carbon are thermally destroyed.

The plant’s production capacity will be increased from approximately 13 million lbs (5,800 MT) to 18 million lbs (8,200 MT). Until the project is completed, Thames’s carbon will be reactivated at Chemviron Carbon’s facilities in Grays, UK and Feluy, Belgium.

[출처: Waterworld / 2013년 8월 1일]