Vancouver-based BQE Water has completed the commissioning and startup of its water treatment plant, which removes selenium from coal ash ponds.

The Selen-IX technology will treat the coal ash pond, located in the eastern US. An unnamed American power utility company owns the coal ash pond, which contains the waste by-product of coal-fired power plants.

The company's process concentrates selenium into a small volume of brine solution. BQE then treats the solution with electrochemical cells, transforming the selenium to a stable iron-selenium solid.

Solids are separated from liquid matter, and the brine solution is then recycled back into the iron exchange circuit. This removes waste liquid brine.

BQE's Selen-IX technology can treat 1,00 US gallons per minute, and can remove selenium to below 7.7 parts per billion. In commissioning, BQE was able to limit selenium concentrations below the 1 part per billion detection limit of a local analytical lab.

The plant will operate downstream from a treatment system designed by Salt Lake City-based WesTech Engineering, which supplies water treatment systems and equipment for industrial applications.

BQE will operate the plant 50 hours per week from Monday and Friday, and is contracted to match weather-dependent water inflows, it said.

The Selen-IX technology can also create a byproduct of solid residue with potential for offtake agreements, BQE said. The byproducts have been analysed and found to be non-toxic.

BQE has also provided water treatment services for mining companies Glencore, Jiangxi Copper, and Freeport-McMoRan.