Membrane bioreactors as core technology for water loop closure in a maltery

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Food Science and Technology
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• The malting industry faces increasing pressure to reduce water consumption and manage wastewater.
• Water scarcity and stringent environmental regulations necessitate innovative water management strategies, including water reuse.
• Closing the water loop in industrial processes is crucial for sustainability and resource efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the potential for water reuse in the malting sector.
• To assess the performance of membrane bioreactor (MBR) and reverse osmosis (RO) technologies for treating malting wastewater.
• To investigate the impact of treated water on malt quality and process viability in a closed-loop system.

Main Methods:

• Comparison of three commercial submerged membranes for fouling potential in a membrane bioreactor (MBR).
• Treatment of MBR permeate using reverse osmosis (RO) and various oxidation processes.
• Pilot-scale testing of a closed water loop system over multiple malting cycles.

Main Results:

• No significant fouling issues were reported for the tested submerged membranes in the MBR.
• MBR permeate, RO permeate, and oxidized water streams did not adversely affect malt quality.
• Pilot-scale closed-loop trials confirmed the viability of water reuse without compromising water or malt quality.

Conclusions:

• Water reuse is a viable strategy for the malting industry, utilizing MBR and RO technologies.
• The investigated treatment train effectively produces high-quality reused water suitable for malting processes.
• Implementation of closed-loop water systems can enhance sustainability in malting operations.