Innovative Wastewater Treatment Plant for one of Germany's Biggest Meat Processors
HUBER Industrial Solutions – From Pilot Testing to Realisation in High-Speed
- The comprehensive HUBER product range combined in one plant
- ROTAMAT® Screen Ro 2 installed beside the HUBER Flotation Plant HDF
- Der ROTAMAT® Disc Thickener RoS 2S
- HUBER Membrane Bioreactor VRM® system
In 2006, pilot tests were carried out at Hans Kupfer GmbH, Heilsbronn/Germany with an innovative wastewater treatment plant including a flotation system and VRM® unit. The time schedule for the completion of this industrial wastewater treatment plant was tight so that it was only nine months later, at the end of 2007, when the plant was for the first time fed with wastewater. The wastewater to be treated flows through a screen, fine screen, flotation plant with chemical treatment stage and membrane filtration plant. The final effluent is hygienic secondary raw water of high quality. The flotate and excess sludge are thickened in a HUBER ROTAMAT® Disc Thickener RoS 2S.
In 2006, pilot testing of a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant was conducted at Hans Kupfer & Sohn GmbH & Co. KG, one of the biggest meat processors in Germany. Due to capacity limits of the company’s existing wastewater treatment plant with SBR reactors the engineering consultants Resch, Weißenburg/Bavaria did the test planning with the innovative VRM® system in cooperation with HUBER SE. During the six months test period a complete treatment line was operated and tested in parallel to the existing plant. The treatment 2000 line consisted of a screen, flotation plant HUBER HDF and HUBER MBR VRM®. The analyses required were carried out by a graduand at HUBER SE and the wastewater technician at KUPFER, Mr. Scheuring. The analyses were evaluated at HUBER in close contact with Dr. Resch engineering consultants. After a major fire in their production in 2006 Hans Kupfer & Sohn GmbH & Co. KG decided to build a new, bigger production plant. Planning had therefore to be started immediately on the basis of the data obtained from the pilot tests. The company’s ambitious goal was to take the new production plant into operation by the end of 2007 or early 2008. Not least because of the excellent performance achieved in the pilot tests HUBER could convince the company of its complete solution and high individual product quality. On the basis of the draft and tender documents provided by Dr. Resch engineering consultants detailed technical planning and implementation of the complete industrial wastewater treatment plant was undertaken in cooperation with KG, Nellingen. The scope of supply included a preliminary screen (HUBER RakeMax®), fine screen (HUBER ROTAMAT® Ro 2 with high pressure spray nozzle bar; 2 lines), flotation plant with chemical treatment stage (HUBER HDF), membrane filtration plant (HUBER VRM®; 3 lines) and a sludge thickener HUBER RoS 2S. The daily wastewater flow of up to 1600 m³/d is converted into a high quality, particle-free and virtually germ-free permeate through mechanical, chemical/physical and biological treatment. The generated sludge (flotate and excess sludge) passes through the disc thickener and then into the sludge storage tank.
A vacuum tanker delivers the sludge to a biogas plant. HUBER SERVICE staff began with the start-up of the comprehensive equipment in December 2007 already. When production started in January 2008 and the required amount of wastewater was generated also the biological treatment system could be put into operation. After the problem free run-in phase the plant soon achieved the required high standards and has since operated very reliably so that commissioning has taken place already. The high quality of the permeate allows for its reuse as secondary raw water for vapour production. The costs saved by recycling increase the economic efficiency of the entire plant for the benefit of the customer. Due to the excellent collaboration of the planners, the customer and HUBER during the start-up phase this project presented a new way of joint operation for HUBER. Although the customer’s order included a HS3 service contract, the company Kupfer requested additional support by our start-up engineer Mr. Schober who stayed at site directly after plant start-up and did a full-time job throughout the entire plant run-in and optimisation phase. During this time the plant was monitored virtually round the clock including teleservicing of each pump and fitting over the weekend. Analysis and evaluation work is included in the scope of supply and services and has been carried out by Resch consultants so that resulting optimisation possibilities could directly be implemented. Such support with long-term presence of a competent contact person gives the customer the maximum possible safety in handling the installed technology. Another great benefit is the according optimisation of the process technology in terms of operating media, such as chemicals and power consumption, as HUBER can use the experience from other plants for the benefit of the new customer.
