Closing the water cycle for beverage processing

During a food and beverage production operation, large quantities of wastewater are created: between one and three litres per litre of beer or soft drinks, and two litres per kilo of PET. For this reason, beverage and liquid food producers, and recyclers, are seeking solutions for downsizing their wastewater incidence.

Krones has now developed a treatment concept for converting wastewater from the production operation into new process water. This covers all the process steps involved that give rise to wastewater in production.

In this concept, all the process wastewater from the production operation is passed through the existing network of gullies into a central storage basin. From there, any solids it contains are sieved out, and the wastewater neutralised in a collecting tank.

Next, depending on the size of the system concerned, is a traditional-style water treatment. If sizeable quantities of wastewater are involved, it is expedient to use an anaerobic stage: this will then produce biogas, which can be re-used in a unit-type cogeneration plant.

Once all the residues have been removed from the wastewater, it must be treated to make it suitable for use as process water; this is where the Krones Hydronomic water treatment systems can be used. By means of ultra-filtration and reverse osmosis, even the tiniest particles like microorganisms or salts are filtered out of the water.

Following the subsequent admixture of chlorine dioxide in order to disinfect and stabilise the water, it is ready to be used again in the production process.

The closed-circuit concept is designed to reduce water consumption in the production operation, with up to 80% less water required. This has a perceptible effect on both the company’s water costs and its environmental performance balance. The system can not only be installed in new factories, it can also be retrofitted in existing plants.

Image credit: Krones