Analysis of Economic Benefits of Using Deep Geological Storage Technology to Treat High-Salinity Brine in Coal Mines

Song Du (), Chao Zhang, Jianguo Liu, Chunhui Zhang, Yinglin Fan, Qiaohui Che, Sitong Song and Sheng Tao
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Song Du: General Prospecting and Research Institute of China National Administration of Coal Geology, Beijing 100039, China
Chao Zhang: China Construction Environmental Energy (Shandong) Environmental Technology Co., Ltd., Taian 271000, China
Jianguo Liu: Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot 010051, China
Chunhui Zhang: Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
Yinglin Fan: General Prospecting and Research Institute of China National Administration of Coal Geology, Beijing 100039, China
Qiaohui Che: General Prospecting and Research Institute of China National Administration of Coal Geology, Beijing 100039, China
Sitong Song: General Prospecting and Research Institute of China National Administration of Coal Geology, Beijing 100039, China
Sheng Tao: Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot 010051, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 19, 1-14

Abstract: Some provinces in China require zero discharge of coal mine wastewater, with a focus on the disposal of high-salt water, because evaporation ponds have been completely banned. Deep geological storage (DGS) technology is a novel geological environment solution that uses rock pores and microfissures within deep strata for safely storing liquid or gas to avoid its environmental impact on the biosphere. The author and his research team were the first to put forward the research idea of using DGS technology to dispose of high-salinity brine in coal mines in China and performed related research. Taking a coal mine in the south of Ordos Basin as an example, this study designed a conventional, mine-specific, zero-discharge water treatment process route based on a evaporation–crystallization process. This strategy was tailored to the unique water inflow conditions of the mine. Furthermore, the technical and economic efficiencies were assessed for the generation and treatment scenarios of a four-stage highly concentrated brine solution. In addition, the comparative analysis of the economic prospects of using DGS technology to treat high-salinity brine revealed that combining DGS with post-conventional treatment in secondary reverse osmosis, whose flow quality is 481 m 3 /h and TDS is 24,532.66 mg/L, can maximize the economic benefits. This integration heightened water resource utilization while maintaining a cost-effective, comprehensive water treatment approach. These results provide a valuable reference value for the future zero-discharge treatment of coal mine water.

Keywords: DGS; high-salinity brine in coal mines; zero discharge; economic (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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