Vital links between water treatment and circular economy

Vital links between water treatment and circular economy

When it comes to the treatment of wastewater in the export chain, the links to circular economy are not obvious – but that doesn’t mean they are not there. They are there and right now they are needed more than ever. Environmental rules are tightening and companies are keen to reduce their environmental footprint. At the same time, the need for water remediation is set to grow to support output from ageing assets and as older facilities are decommissioned.

While the offshore industry is primarily concerned with the management of hydrocarbons, water is a close-run second place. The UKCS generates some 200 million cubic metres of produced water a year and whilst much of this can be safely treated offshore and overboarded or reinjected, a sizable proportion requires further treatment onshore to be made safe.