Kerry Foods shrinks effluent output in the UK
Photo credit: Veolia Water Technologies
The Kerry Foods facility in Osset in the UK, is a butter and cream processing factory. Its effluent treatment plant (ETP) relies on a dissolved air flotation (DAF) unit, which had been utilising traditional metal-based coagulants. However, the Kerry Foods team were looking to improve the process and were receptive when Veolia Water Technologies proposed to use a plant-based coagulant to optimise the DAF.
Following an initial meeting with the team at the Yorkshire site, Brian Jones, business development manager at Veolia Water Technologies, identified the potential to make savings. A key area identified for optimisation was the quantity of sludge produced by the ETP. The existing process required weekly sludge collections, which cost the facility approximately £50,000 (€60,000) per year. After carrying out jar tests, Veolia Water Technologies recommend the plant-based coagulant offers a more sustainable wastewater solution compared to conventional metal-based products. ed chemical dosing using its plant-based coagulant Hydrex 62925 to reduce the volume of sludge generated by 50 per cent, while still adhering to the trade effluent consent agreement with its local water company.
The plant-based coagulant offers a more sustainable wastewater solution compared to conventional metal-based products. The Hydrex 6000 series provides a range of solutions for the industrial and chemical sectors that can be tailored to provide bespoke chemistry to suit the requirements of any ETP.
Suitable for AD
As a result of the more concentrated sludge at Kerry Foods, which potentially has a 50 per cent higher calorific value than before, Veolia Water Technologies advised that it could potentially be sold for anaerobic digestor (AD) feed. Samples of the DAF sludge were sent for independent testing, which confirmed its suitability for AD feed sites. This was an added advantage of switching to the plant-based coagulant, and rather than pay out weekly removal costs, Kerry Foods can now earn additional revenue from it.
In addition, by recycling waste from its production process, Kerry Foods has also been able to reduce its overall environmental impact by achieving an approximately 75 per cent reduction in transport movements associated with sludge collection; this has contributed to the facility’s reduction in its carbon footprint. Further environmental benefits have been gained by replacing traditional metal-based coagulants with a plant-based chemical solution, which provides a more ecological solution alongside reduced chemical dosing and decreased handling risks for operatives.