Starch | Renewable Energy from Starch Wastewater

Published on by for Global Water & Energy (Global Water Engineering N.V.)

Starch | Renewable Energy from Starch Wastewater

Starch industry challenges

Water, fuel oil and electricity are crucial to operating a starch factory successfully. The production of 100 ton (native) cassava starch consumes on average about 4,000-liter fuel oil and 1 MW electricity.

The processing of cassava roots (fresh roots or dry chips), into native and modified starch, also produces significant waste streams in the form of both wastewater and solid organic waste (peel & pulp).

Many starch factories use polluting, low-efficiency open lagoons for the treatment of their wastewater.  These lagoons require large space, and they cause the loss of large amounts of potential green energy in the form of biogas (a mixture of CH4 & CO2) escaping in the air. Besides the energy loss, there is also the environmental aspect by emitting large amounts of CH4 greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.

Renewable energy from starch wastewater

The ANUBIX™ – B anaerobic reactors offer an integrated solution for the wastewater, fuel oil and electricity needs of a starch factory. The advanced biological wastewater treatment installations use anaerobic bacteria (granular sludge) in a closed reactor to degrade the organic compounds in the wastewater and convert them into biogas.

This captured biogas can then be used as a source of renewable energy for the heating of thermal oil, generation of steam, electricity or a combination of these, to be used at several stages in the starch production.

You can expect effective installation, capable of supplying 100% of the fuel oil energy demand (biogas replaces fuel oil in the boilers or direct fired starch dryers) and 75% of the electricity demand of a modern starch factory.

The RAPTOR® system can generate additional energy (another ca. 180%) from the solid organic waste fraction (wet pulp).

Attached link

http://www.globalwe.com/industries/food/starch/

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