After a successful test period, Unilever has opted for a new type of bio-digester from Paques, the BIOPAQ®AFR, in which natural micro-organisms (in this case more than 24 quadrillion or 24 to the power of 15) “eat” waste products and convert them into biogas. In this system, wastewater is purified by converting waste products from ice cream production such as milk, cream, proteins, syrups and pieces of fruit into biogas. The bio-digester fits in perfectly with the further implementation of Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan aimed at reducing the production of waste and the consumption of water and energy.
“The BIOPAQ®AFR is an innovation in the field of purification of fat-containing wastewater,” explains Paques in a recent press release. “What’s unique about it is that wastewater streams that contain fat and oil are treated/digested in one compact reactor, together with degradable particles, whereas in conventional systems this is only possible by going through a number of processing stages.”
The construction of the bio-digester started in Autumn 2010 and it is expected that it will become operational mid-2011. Unilever is one of the fist companies worldwide with such a bio-digester.
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