Hydrodec Reduces Emissions by Construction of Second Reusable Transformer-Oils Plant

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Hydrodec North America Incorporated (Canton, Ohio) a subsidiary of Hydrodec plc (LSE:HYR) (London) produces high-grade superfine transformer oils using the company's patented closed-loop technology. Hydrodec's unique process provides many benefits and is extremely environmentally appealing, virtually eliminating nearly all harmful emissions. Hydrodec primarily services the electric power industry by repeatedly re-refining spent transformer oils that are used to insulate and cool electric transformers, although the company is not limited to this particular industry.

Reducing environmental emissions is crucial and continues to be an ongoing, worldwide effort. Hydrodec's environmentally friendly process was introduced in Young, New South Wales, Australia, with the commissioning of the company's first re-refinery in spring 2005. The Superfine Transformer Oils technology was expanded internationally by building the first United States re-refinery in Canton, Ohio, which came online October 2008. The 22,000-square-foot plant has a production capacity of 8 million gallons per year and can store more than 500,000 gallons. The location was strategically chosen because it was within 500 miles of the largest utility-users in the United States. The emissions were low enough to fall below the Ohio EPA permit requirements.

Many participants played a part in bringing the Canton plant online. Brownfield Site Environmental (Canton, Ohio) performed site remediation, and Brownfield Restoration Group (Akron, Ohio) was selected as the environmental engineers and handled site cleanup. Cooper & Associates LLP (Canton, Ohio) also worked with Hydrodec as the land surveyors and site engineers and designed an oil-spill containment facility and railroad spur for the plant.

While construction was under way, strategic plans were already in the works of where to locate the second U.S. recycled transformer-oil re-refinery. The decision was made to build the new facility on a 12.9-acre site in Laurel, Mississippi, near Howard Industries Distribution's transformer-manufacturing plant, a leading producer of oil-filled transformers. Construction is slated to begin in spring of 2009 and be complete early next year. Costing $18 million to construct, this re-refinery will process a higher rate than the Canton location with a capacity of 9 million gallons per year and will have room to expand for increased production.

Neal Schaffer (Laurel, Mississippi) provided environmental testing, land surveying and geotechnical services, Saul Engineering & Surveying (Laurel) did conceptual grading and concrete work while Waggoner Engineering Incorporated (Jackson, Mississippi) were selected as civil engineers. The prime engineering and construction company overseeing construction of the new plant is Project Solutions Australia Pty Limited (Dural, New South Wales).

Hydrodec's environmentally friendly recycled process works to drastically decrease emissions by reducing carbon dioxide by breaking down harmful chemicals instead of using the more conventional burning method to remove impurities. An estimated 400 million pounds of carbon dioxide is being generated from the secondary use of transformer oils, and Hydrodec's goal is to drop that number to zero. With the power industry disposing of roughly 120 million gallons of oil each year, working with the Hydrodec's Superfine Transformer Oils recycling process is a win-win situation for both companies, requiring less oil to be imported.

As well as being environmentally beneficial, the Superfine process is also more cost-effective, offering some relief in today's economic uncertainty. The oil is offered at a more stable price because costs are not determined by the price of crude-oil or market fluctuations. The recycled oil will be sold direct to the utility companies and to the transformers manufacturers.

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