Project Information Sheet
Electrochemical waTER treatment pilot plant in the dairy industry with phosPHAte REcovery (REPHATER)
Programme area: / CIP-EIP-Ecoinnovation 2008 (Food and drink sector)Coordinator: / Julia García Montaño (Technical coordinator)
Dirk Saseta (Administrative coordinator)
Ciro Avolio (Financial coordinator)
LEITAT Technological Center, Spain
E-mail: ; ;
Tel: +34 937882300
Partners: / LEITAT Technological Center (LEITAT); Spain
AGUACURE, Ltd (AGUACURE); UK
QNORM, Quality and Environment, SL (QNORM); Spain
BCR 129, S. L. (BCR); Spain
C-Tech Innovation, Ltd (C-Tech); UK
CYCLUS ID, SL, Industrial Depuration (CYCLUS ID); Spain
Website: / http://leitat.org/projectes/rephater
Benefits
(max. 150 characters incl. space): / Deep dairy wastewater treatment/reuse through electrochemical technologies with phosphate recovery in an innovative approach never considered before.
Keywords: / Dairy Industry; Electrochemical Water Treatment; Phosphate Recovery; Demonstration plan; market diffusion
Sector: / C10.5.1 - Operation of dairies and cheese making
E36.0.0 - Water collection, treatment and supply
E38.2.1 - Treatment and disposal of non-hazardous waste
Type of solution / Technology
Duration: / 01/06/2009 – 30/11/2011
Budget: / 1.368.606 € (EU contribution: 777.040 € 56,78%)
Contract number: / 238976
Summary
The aim of REPHATER project is the development of a water treatment pilot plant based on the sequential combination of two innovative technologies: Electrocoagulation and Electrooxidation. The plant will also include a recovery/recycling phosphate unit from residual electrochemical waste in an eco-innovative integrated approach never considered before. The project aims to implement the pilot plant in a Spanish SME belonging to the food and drink sector, -i.e. a dairy industry-, which will further act as a show case facility. The food and drink sector is the largest industrial sector in Europe in turnover terms, and has been identified as one of those that may find beneficial the application of REPHATER solution.
The novel prototypes developed by the consortium members will improve existing electrochemical solutions and will allow the take-up of such eco-effective techniques through the market, which are not currently used enough in most industrial sectors. The integration of a phosphate recovery unit will increase its environmental credentials allowing the recycling of valuable phosphate for different agricultural and industrial applications.
Expected and/or achieved results
The overall volumes to be treated are 30 m3 washes and 3 m3 whey per week, with possible maximum volumes of 40 m3. Both washes and whey will be mixed in an appropriate ratio prior sequential Electrocoagulation-Electrooxidation treatment. Before that, the mixed solution will pass through oil and fats (O&F) separation and a homogenizer tank, in this order.
The main REPHATER’s objectives and achievements in this period of the project are:
§ Wastewater characterization (physicochemical analyses on both washes and whey sources) during different weeks.
§ Design and development of the Electrocoagulation unit (based on such a characterization).
§ Advances in Electrooxidation and phosphate recovery design and manufacure, being directly dependent on Electrocoagulation results.
§ Location adjustments. Adapting existing structure with the new equipment specifications.
§ Exploitation and dissemination activities: REPHATER Website, Project Poster, Project Leaflet and Newspaper articles. The Dissemination, Exploitation and Business Plan have been performed and updated.
Expected results:
- Removal of the main dairy wastewater contaminants (95% COD and DBO; > 95% phosphate; > 95% SS; > 75% oils and fats) at the end of the whole electrochemical (electrocoagulation-electrooxidation) process.
- Recycling of waste and the linked economic advantage: 80% phosphate recycling after the phosphate recovery unit installation.
- Recycling of water and the linked economic advantage: It is expected that 100% of the resultant water will be potentially reusable.
- Evaluation of market potential to promote the project among interested parties and potential customers (analysis of the potential market and identification of the target groups and key actors): 100 replication factor of REPHATER solution among dairy or other sectors generating wastewaters containing significant phosphates is expected.
- 100% chemicals reduction and 70-100% waste (sludge) reduction compared to traditional practices -i.e., the physico-chemical/biological conventional treatment plant used by most industries-; and 70-100% reduction of their associated economic costs.
The information sheet will be published in the Eco-Innovation website. The EACI reserves the right to edit the information sheet for content and length
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