Environmental spray drying systems

GEA's Environmental Spray Drying Systems combine decades of spray drying expertise with advanced solutions for flue gas cleaning and liquid waste stream concentration. Whether the objective is reducing atmospheric emissions or achieving Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD), GEA offers proven spray drying technologies that help customers meet increasingly stringent environmental requirements.

Our solutions address both air emission control and liquid waste management challenges. They facilitate the removal of acidic pollutants, heavy metals, dioxins, and dust from flue and off-gases to achieve ultra-low emission levels, while also converting wastewater, brines, and other liquid waste streams into manageable dry solids. The result is improved process efficiency, optimized resource utilization, and enhanced environmental sustainability. The portfolio includes Spray Drying Absorption (SDA) for flue gas cleaning and Spray Drying Evaporation (SDE) for Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) applications.

The right spray drying solution for every challenge

Using the same core principle of atomizing liquids into a hot gas stream, GEA's spray drying technologies address two distinct environmental challenges.

Spray Drying Absorption (SDA)

The Spray Drying Absorption (SDA) process is a proven semi-dry flue gas desulfurization and cleaning technology. It efficiently converts gaseous pollutants such as SO₂, SO₃, HCl, mercury, and dioxins into stable, dry reaction products through contact with a lime-based absorbent. The resulting dry powder is easy to handle, transport, and dispose of while supporting compliance with stringent emission regulations. SDA systems are widely used in waste-to-energy plants, fossil-fueled power plants, waste incinerators, sinter plants, smelters, metallurgical facilities, and other industrial installations.

Spray Drying Evaporation (SDE)

The Spray Drying Evaporation (SDE) process is designed for Zero Liquid Discharge applications, converting salt- and solids-containing wastewater streams into dry solids. Using the heat available from industrial flue gases, water is evaporated from the effluent stream, leaving a dry powder that is collected in a downstream filtration system. This enables complete elimination of liquid effluent discharge while supporting water recovery and sustainable waste management. SDE systems are widely used in chemical processing, mining and minerals processing, industrial wastewater treatment, wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) wastewater treatment, and metallurgical and refining operations.

Together, SDA and SDE provide a comprehensive portfolio of spray drying solutions for air pollution control, wastewater minimization, and sustainable industrial operation.