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Wastewater treatment in the sugar & distillary industry

Limiting the environmental footprint of sugar beet and sugar cane processing.

Flexible solutions for a seasonal industry

The sugar industry is a major water user and wastewater producer. Water is most essential but often a scarce resource in developing countries. Recycling of condensate, segregation of high-strength and low-strength effluent as well as the proper operation of the eco-infrastructure limit fresh water dependency.

Biotim anaerobic reactor

The Waterleau anaerobic technology is perfectly adapted to the seasonal sugar beet or cane processing industry. When supply is short, the anaerobic reactor can be cooled down without causing a loss of microbiological activity in the anaerobic sludge.

In peak season, the BIOTIM® reactor design is well adapted for increased activity caused by the augmented soluble cod from the beet loop. The seasonal load surplus does not result in increasing operational costs, whereas in conventional aerobic treatment systems such costs are proportional to incoming waste load.

Nutrient removal

In the sugar industry, the major source of nitrogen comes from the condensate stream and requires an adapted water treatment process design. This condensate is processed in an aerobic post-treatment together with the UASB effluent. A bypass around the UASB allows an increase of the COD/N ratio improving nitrogen removal during aerobic treatment.

Off-season, the aerobic treatment is shut down by gradually removing the activated sludge while at the start of the season, sludge is taken from another plant to restart the aerobic treatment.

The combination of both BIOTIM® anaerobic and LUCAS® aerobic treatment with nitrogen removal produces a final effluent complying with discharge regulations. Biogas recovered from the anaerobic treatment process is a valuable energy source considerably limiting operating expenses.

High-strength distillery wastewater

High-strength wastewater or stillage from distilleries typically contains large amounts of organics and inorganics, and varies depending on the feedstock used (molasses, sugar cane, cassava, grain, corn...). This makes distillery wastewater an ideal candidate for high-rate anaerobic treatment generating biogas as renewable energy source to offset natural gas use in the distillery.

Waterleau's environmental solutions help distilleries reduce the water, energy, carbon and waste footprint, driving down operating costs while improving regulatory compliance.

Relevant sugar & distillary industry Cases

Vegetables

Wastewater treatment in the vegetable processing industry

Wastewater treatment in the vegetable processing industry

Food processors joined forces and created a special purpose vehicle for the collection and the treatment of the joint wastewater.

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