GE Supplying China’s First-Ever Rainwater Recycling System

Worldwide TOP Partner GE is providing multiple technologies for China’s first rainwater recycling system, which will be located at the Beijing National Stadium (Bird’s Nest), the setting of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

The National Stadium’s new rainwater recycling system will use underground pools that process up to 100 tons of rainwater per hour, 80 tons of which can be re-used for landscaping, fire-fighting and cleaning — a direct way to lower the stadium’s water consumption. GE’s technology is chemical-free and meets stringent environmental standards for indoor air quality and noise control.

“These advanced water treatment technologies are part of a larger effort to help Beijing implement an environmentally sustainable water management solution during the Games and beyond,” said Steve Bertamini, Chairman and CEO of GE in Northeast Asia and China. “GE has been active in China for more than 100 years and we are extremely proud to continue supporting both the Games and China in its effort to adopt solutions that are more green.”

To date, GE is involved in more than 335 projects overall related to the Beijing Games in the transportation, security, energy, water, healthcare and lighting sectors. GE is working closely with organisers of the Games to provide industry-leading energy and water treatment technology that is being developed as part of ecomagination, a company-wide initiative to develop and market technologies that help customers address pressing environmental challenges.

Highlights of other key GE projects for the Beijing Games include:

- Supplying filtration technology for safe drinking water at the National Stadium
The National Stadium will use GE’s water treatment technology during the Games to provide up to 16 tons of purified water per hour. The quality of the water meets the latest national standards. GE’s water filtration technologies stand out for their environmentally sound features, energy-efficiency and reliability.

- Helping to power the conference and hotel area
Two high-efficiency GE Jenbacher Tri-generation energy units, which operate on natural gases, will be used at the Jing Hui Garden Hotel, a 14-storey hotel and conference centre that will host the media during the Games. Harnessing methane to produce energy is an excellent way of handling emissions of a gas with 21 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide.

- Delivering energy-efficient turbines to the Olympic Central Area
GE is supplying energy-efficient turbines to deliver power, heating and cooling to the Olympic Central Area. These systems successfully convert fuels such as natural gases into a cleaner burning energy source. The process reduces emissions of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter by more than 60 per cent, reduces mercury emissions by more than 50 per cent, and reduces sulphur dioxides by more than 90 per cent, while using less water than traditional pulverised coal plants.

- Implementing solar-powered lighting at the Fengtai Softball Field
GE’s solar-powered LED street lighting fixtures and field lighting are being used at the Fengtai Softball Field.







- Providing filtering technology for the Qinghe Waste Water Plant
In order to improve Beijing’s waste-water treatment capabilities, the waste-water plant in Qinghe has adopted technology that will filter more than 80,000 cubic metres of waste water daily to be recycled to maintain landscaping during the Olympic Games. This system is designed to reduce costs and cut energy consumption by up to 30 per cent over the next five years.