Solvic and Evides invest in research to recycle water from Antwerp port, Belgium

Belgian plastics producer Solvic and Evides Industriewater (EIW) are working together to reprocess various waste water streams to a demineralised water quality for use in Solvic’s production process.

The study is now being expanded to include reprocessing water from the port (Dokwater) into demineralised water. A second pilot plant is being equipped for this research.

Producing demineralised water from effluent
Solvic and EIW have been cooperating for three years to investigate how various waste water streams can be reprocessed into demineralised water. This involves phreatic groundwater and waste water from a cooling tower.

Results from the pilot plant are ‘promising’, according to Theunissen from EIW. “A few adaptations have been implemented: replacing the drum filter with a disc filter, the cleaning method, membrane cleaning frequency and the chemical dosing. This has enabled us to improve operations.”

The study results form the basis for the design parameters of a possible full-scale plant. The pilot plant proposed by EIW utilises a micro strainer (AMIAD Strainer), followed by ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO). Evides can design, construct, finance and operate this plant on DBFO basis.

Recycled components
In order to run pilot projects in an environmentally-sound way the project aims for maximum recycling of materials. Components from the first pilot project will be reused in the construction of this second pilot plant.

The pilot plant will be sited in Solvic’s ‘former’ demineralised water building, which will be fully-renovated for this purpose. An additional advantage is that both parties can use the building’s existing infrastructure. The pilot plant’s capacity will be approximately 11.5 cubic metres per hour.

E4Water project
The pilot study is

being implemented in the framework of the E4Water project. E4Water stands for Economically Ecologically Efficient Water management in the European chemical industry.

It is a cooperative agreement between 19 European companies and research organisations with the objective of creating a breakthrough in integrated and energy-efficient water management. EIW is participating in two pilot projects: Mild desalination at DOW Terneuzen and Industrial experimental garden at Solvic in Antwerp.

Participation in these projects demonstrates once again that Evides Industriewater doesn’t only invest in new water treatment innovations but is also prepared to apply these in practice.

This is entirely in line with EIW’s ambition to be a trendsetter and market leader in the area of industrial water. 

This newsitem is based on a press release that was published on the website of Evides Industriewater.

More information
Evides Industriewater
Rotterdam, the Netherlands
+31 10 293 5172
www.evides.nl/en/industrial