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Integrated concepts for water treatment in the beverage industry

woensdag 16 september 2009

Berkefeld and Biothane present technologies for water treatment and biological treatment of wastewater at Drinktec in Munich

Reverse osmosis in 'Hygienic Design' / BIOBED® for anaerobic pre-treatment of wastewater


The engineers at Berkefeld see the central issues of water treatment in the beverages industry as on the one hand the further increase of water yield and energy efficiency, as well as the growing demands on the 'Hygienic Design' of the plants. A further trend is the recycling of cleaning and wastewater. Accordingly, at the Drinktec trade show in Munich the company is presenting a further developed reverse osmosis plant in a hygienically optimised design, as well as the model of an anaerobic Biobed® process – developed by Biothane – for the pre-treatment of organically polluted wastewater and the generation of biogas.

The reverse osmosis and Biobed technologies are exemplary of the integrated water treatment concepts that Berkefeld together with Biothane offer as companies of Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies and are already realising in joint projects.

Reverse osmosis fulfils the hygiene demands of the food industry

The reverse osmosis plant presented at the fair stand is used in the production of non-alcoholic soft drinks. To fulfil the highest hygiene standards the system can be supplied completely in a high-grade steel version which, given suitable membrane equipment, can be fully sanitised with hot water. Only if all internal and external surfaces are of high quality is regular chemical cleaning possible. Due to intelligent design and high-grade finishing the high demands of the food industry with regard to through-flows and cleaning capability are fulfilled.

The further improved low-pressure membranes used here do their job with a working pressure of only about 10 bar and thus greatly reduce the need for pump energy. At the same time - depending in each case on the salinity of the raw water – the recovery rate can be increased to more than 90 per cent and thereby minimise freshwater consumption and wastewater quantities. Depending on the existing control configuration, the Berkefeld reverse osmosis plant can be equipped with PROFIBUS, Ethernet or another interface as the customers wish so that the main plant parameters are available in a central control room. The entire system is pre-assembled at the Berkefeld production site in Celle, where all control technology and hydraulic functions are thoroughly tested. This means the time and effort for assembly and commissioning at the installation site is reduced considerably.

Anaerobic technologies for biological wastewater treatment

Biothane, like Berkefeld a subsidiary of Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies, is presenting at Drinktec biological processes for treating organically polluted wastewater. Together with Berkefeld and other subsidiaries of the Veolia Group, Biothane works worldwide on integrated water management projects for companies in the beverages industry and other industrial sectors. In Munich, the anaerobic BIOBED® system developed by Biothane is being presented on the basis of a model. In a BIOBED® heavy-duty reactor, highly organically polluted wastewater is pre-treated in a very efficient way. The process gives rise to energy-rich biogas, which for example can be used directly in a boiler or for electricity generation in a combined heat and power unit. The system stands out for its self-contained, gasproof construction, which guarantees that the anaerobic plant is largely free of smells. Other benefits are its very low energy consumption, because no energy must be used for the oxygen intake, and its much smaller space requirement compared to customary anaerobic wastewater treatment. In addition, the process produces an extremely low quantity of sludge of about one-tenth of aerobic wastewater treatment. Biothane can point to a total of more than 500 references for this technology, including breweries and producers of soft drinks and fruit juices.

Picture 1:
The optimised Berkefeld reverse osmosis system fulfils high demands on hygiene, energy efficiency and water yield.
Picture 2 (left):
BIOBED® heavy-duty reactors ensure the economically efficient pre-treatment of organically polluted water.

Picture 3 (right):
The model of the BIOBED® reactor at the Drinktec trade fair.


Company Profile

Berkefeld, located in Celle, Germany and Biothane, located in Delft, Netherlands, are parts of Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies, a subsidiary of Veolia Water. Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies (VWS), subsidiary of Veolia Water, is a leading design & build company and a specialized provider of technological solutions in water treatment. With over 8,900 employees in 57 countries, Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies recorded revenue of €2.5 billion Euros in 2008. Veolia Water, the water division of Veolia Environnement, is the world leader in water and wastewater services. Specialized in outsourcing services for municipal authorities, as well as industrial and service companies, Veolia Water serves 139 million people worldwide. With 93,400 employees, its 2008 revenues amounted to €12.6 bil-lion.

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