Wastewater treatment in the brewery industry
Limiting the eco-footprint in the brewery industry
Water. The principal ingredient in beer production.
Cutting back the water intake has always been key in the beverages industry. Water is the main ingredient for drinks production and brewing, but rinsing and cleaning also demand large amounts of water. Wastewater treatment, biogas and water recovery from bio-effluent are the cornerstones of sustainable beverages production.
Sustainable production
With the costs of procuring natural resources and complying with regulation soaring, new ways of reducing the environmental impact of beverages production are to be considered. We are helping global soft-drink brands and breweries to comply with discharge regulations, recover bio-gas from wastewater and even process water from bio-effluent.
We also assist optimizing treatment processes, provide operation services or even find smart solutions for financing new treatment needs. With Waterleau expertise within reach, beverage producers can significantly improve production KPI.
Energy Recovery from bio-effluent
Waterleau is the global market leader in anaerobic digestion of wastewater. In the brewing industry for instance, thermal energy and electricity make up 80% and 20% of total energy needs. By unfolding the energy potential of the organic load in the bio-effluent, breweries can recover biogas.
The biogas is used for steam production or to power Combined Heat and Power units. Per hl bio-effluent, 1 kWh can be recovered, cutting down up to 15% of the overall electricity needs.
The organic load in bio-effluent is turned into bio-gas, used for the production of thermal energy, needed for heating the brewery.
Compliance with wastewater discharge legislation.
We are helping drinks producers and breweries across the globe to comply with wastewater discharge regulations. The increasingly stringent legislation on waste discharges requires upgrading existing wastewater treatment infrastructure. Our BIOTIM® anaerobic and LUCAS® aerobic bio-effluent purification solutions make it possible to remove up to 99% of the organic pollution.
Increasing water efficiency
As sourcing water from the grid becomes costlier and ground-water access restricted, water recovery from treated effluent makes it possible to significantly increase the brewery water efficiency. Our AQUALITY® Ultra Filtration and High Recovery Reverse Osmosis solutions integrate seamlessly in an existing anaerobic-aerobic bio-effluent configuration. The HRRO permeate is recovered for applications such as boiler feedwater, cooling towers or cleaning.
Capex-free water solutions
The WaterleauBox® is a flexible way to adapt existing wastewater treatment infrastructure to output expansion without freezing financial assets and hindering value creation.
A full range of containerized modules integrate seamlessly into any existing wastewater treatment facility. Renting anaerobic technology to unfold the bio-effluent energy potential, integrating MBR technology to improve effluent quality or adding a process water production unit to increase water efficiency, the WaterleauBox® technology range is adaptable to any process flow or infrastructure.
SmartLab. Digital platform for KPI optimization.
With our SmartLab digital platform, we help breweries embrace the digital transformation. With data analysis of IoT-enabled infrastructure, our Waterleau exports are able to optimize treatment facility, improving the water, energy and carbon footprint of your production entity.
Brewing Industry cases
Sustainable beer production in South-Africa
Turning a wastewater treatment plant into a water resource factory.
A capex-free upgrade for Martens Brewery
A new treatment strategy materialized in an out-of-the-box approach and a long-term partnership.
Greenfield brewery in central Colombia
The CCC Brewery treats different wastewater & waste streams before safe discharge to the open water bodies.
Find your local contact
Our expertise is always within reach. Digital communication has cut long distances short, but we advocate the traditional way of sharing insights.
Contact us today. We are looking forward to help you reach your sustainable development goals.
