One of the UK’s leading water re-use companies has installed a wastewater treatment technology that has never been used before in one of Scotland’s most luxurious brands.
Aquabio Ltd – based in Worcester – has designed and built the whisky industry’s first ever anaerobic membrane bioreactor system to treat wastewater at the Glenmorangie distillery in Scotland’s Northern Highlands.
The anaerobic digestion plant at the Ross-shire distillery was officially opened earlier this summer, boasting the use of natural biological processes which both reduces output in distillery wastewater by up to 95 per cent and creates energy in the form of methane rich biogas. Importantly, the biogas replaces some of the fossil fuels used at the distillery to heat the stills in which the spirit is made. A knock on effect is that the standard of the wastewater is improved.
Steve Goodwin, Managing Director of Aquabio explained : “The low energy Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor Plant – or AnMBR LE – is designed to improve the quality of the effluent being discharged into the Dornoch Firth which is now reused as fuel within the site boiler system.”
The well-proven Aquabio technology with its ultra-filtration tubular membranes has helped Glenmorangie achieve its objectives of protecting the environment in which it operates. The plant now largely operates automatically and can be remotely monitored on line; this ensures optimum efficiency in both wastewater treatment and power generation.
Steve concluded : “We are immensely proud of the successful completion of this prestigious contract. Our experience and track record in delivering wastewater process projects was a key factor in Glenmorangie’s decision to award us the contract. We – along with our group company Freudenberg – are both excited and proud to have been involved with such a premium brand.”
An average of ten to twelve litres of water are need to produce one litre of whisky with the distillery producing 4-5 million litres of whisky per annum. The microorganisms in Glenmorangie’s bioreactor are able to degrade 11.7 tonnes of chemical oxygen demand in the polluted wastewater every day. In the process, they produce 3500 cubic metres of biogas every day.
Aquabio – which operates from its headquarters in Hallow, Worcestershire – is a European Leader in industrial wastewater treatment, and water recycling and reuse. The company has pioneered the implementation of water recycling within a wide range of industries including food and drink, bio fuels, pulp and paper, landfill and leachate and pharmaceuticals.
Aquabio is now part of the Freudenberg Group, a global company which operates in 60 countries worldwide.
For further information please contact Steve Goodwin, Managing Director, Aquabio Ltd on 01905 641 966.
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For media comment please contact :
Steve Goodwin on 01905 641 966.