Feasibility study of Kraftcentrum Grindsted – Electrolytic water purification

A group of partners consisting of GEV Holding, GeoDrilling, Electrocell Europe and ATES have collaborated with Aalborg University to document whether electrolytic water purification in combination with heat recovery can purify contaminated groundwater from the pollution plume from the former Grindsted Power Station. The project has received support from, among others, the Region of Southern Denmark’s development pool. The project has delivered such good results that the partners are now continuing the work in a pilot project under the “Just Transition Fund”.

The pollution under the town of Grindsted is one of Denmark’s 10 defined generational pollutants. It is expensive and difficult to deal with, which is why the idea of a powerhouse for contaminated groundwater was born. Electrolytic water treatment is a newer treatment method, and despite being well described in the literature, only a few companies have commercialized the technology. Therefore, it was important for the partners to test the method and see if it can purify the water so well that the water can subsequently be used for industrial cooling water and generate surplus heat for the district heating network.

The overall purpose of Kraftcentrum Grindsted in the feasibility study is to provide evidence that electrolytic water treatment can clean contaminated groundwater in interaction with heat recovery and balancing of the electricity grid – Martin Østergaard, GEV

With Aalborg University’s knowledge, the partners have created good experiences and results. So good that they will be used in a pilot project with on-site testing on existing wells.

Toxic substances are greatly reduced

In the project, the group has investigated and discussed opportunities and synergies among them. With experience from the companies, expert knowledge from the university and support from the Region of Southern Denmark, the group and the knowledge bridge project have created major successes.

One of them is that the content of vinyl chloride and benzene can be reduced by electrolysis. Vinyl chloride is a colorless, flammable and toxic substance that in high concentrations can lead to liver cancer. It is therefore a success that the partner group’s work has shown a way to break down the substance in an effective way that can help clean up groundwater pollution in Grindsted and at other point sources.

The knowledge bridge project has also investigated which electrodes clean best, what the flow of water should be and how much amperage the cleaning process requires.

Learning process with a focus on further development

Sector coupling is important for the future development and sustainability of the project. By adjusting the purification process, it can help to utilize derived waste streams of heat and hydrogen that can be used in the electricity and district heating grid. It is through this sector coupling that the project stands out from other remediation methods because it breaks the paradigm of seeing pollution as an expense.

Videnbroprojektet har formået at påvise en høj renseeffekt og gode resultater. Derfor blev partnerkredsen hurtigt enige om, at der skulle igangsættes et pilotprojekt som kunne videreudvikle de effekter og resultater der var skabt – Martin Østergaard, GEV

Det har været en lærerig proces, hvor partnerkredsen løbende har drøftet muligheder, teknologi og synergi. Partnerkredsen ser store muligheder og ønsker derfor at arbejde videre i et pilotprojekt, som har fået støtte fra Erhvervsstyrelsens pulje ”Fonden for retfærdig omstilling”. Udover pilotprojektet har partnerkredens også oprettet CleanLab Grindsted, der skal sikre, at arbejdet fra projektet bliver forankret og de enkelte aktørers viden bliver samlet ét sted.