A project aimed at reducing water consumption in nuclear power plants by capturing water from cooling tower plumes has been launched at EDF’s Bugey nuclear power plant in eastern France.

US firm Infinite Cooling has developed technology that uses an innovative process that captures fine water droplets in cooling tower plumes using an electrically charged collection mesh. This recovered water - which is said to be more than 100 times purer than the circulating water in the cooling system - can significantly reduce the need for water treatment and decrease waste water discharge volumes, resulting in cost savings and enhanced environmental performance.

Testing of the technology began at the Bugey plant in August and will continue until March next year. Taking place on a test setup at the plant, the tests will assess the technology’s performance in diverse environments and measure the amount of water recovered, the quality of the reclaimed water, and the system’s operational impact.

Additionally, the project will gather essential insights to guide the large-scale deployment of this transformative solution, considering installation and operational factors.

“Cooling towers, which are the largest consumers of water in nuclear plants, stand to benefit immensely from this technology, which is expected to recover between 1% and 15% of the evaporated water depending on operating conditions,” Infinite Cooling said. “The reclaimed water, noted for its high purity, is ideal for reuse, reducing both water treatment costs and waste water discharge.”

Maher Damak, CEO and co-founder of Infinite Cooling, said: “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. 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.”

The Bugey plant currently comprises four operating 900 MWe pressurised water reactors - units 2-5 - that started up between 1978 and 1979. Bugey 1 was a gas-cooled reactor that was built from 1965 with its first grid connection in 1972. It was shut down permanently in 1994. The site has been selected by the France’s Nuclear Policy Council for the installation of the third pair of EPR2 reactors, after the Penly and Gravelines sites.