The impact of cooling water of thermal power plants to the sea water quality

In this study, alterations in sea water quality after the thermal power plants cooling water discharge to seas in terms of physico-chemical and biological water quality parametres are investigated. The cooling water is taken from the sea and the turbined steam transfers its heat to the cooling water. In this reason, ZETES Thermal Power Plant, which is constructed in coastal region of Zonguldak Province, was selected as the pilot area. In the cooling water facilities? of this thermal power plant, water sampling was done in 2 different stations for 2 month periods during 16 months. The sampling points were determined as the water intake point, the 1st station and the water discharge point, the 2nd station. For seasonal periods, variations were not observed between water intake point and water discharge point for the parameters stated in Table 4 of Water Pollution Control Regulation (WPCR). It was realized that the major variation over these parameters was in water temperature. This variation in water temperature was in the limits of the Water Pollution Control Regulation. The experimental results achieved shows that the cooling water systems of the thermal power plants mostly effects water temperature in the cooling water source. This shows that during the design of a thermal power plant cooling water systems, the most important element is thermal modelling.