Process water management is one area that gets ignored as industries look for new and sustainable solutions. An innovative technology that holds the key to releasing the potential of industrial process water is Anaerobic Digester Systems. These systems offer a thorough and environmentally sustainable solution for resource recovery and wastewater treatment. Industries may treat their wastewater and produce beneficial byproducts like biogas and nutrient-rich fertilisers by utilising the natural process for anaerobic digestion. These technologies provide a win-win option for firms aiming to maximise their sustainability efforts while minimising operational expenses and environmental impact.

We shall examine the many advantages of anaerobic digester systems in this post, also how they may revolutionise industrial water management.

What Is Industrial Process Water?

Water used in different industrial processes, manufacturing operations, and commercial pursuits is industrial process water. It is different from potable (drinking) water and usually goes through treatment to fulfil the demands of wastewater treatment for industrial processes. Manufacturing, electricity generation, chemical processing, medicines, the production of food and beverages, and many other industries depend heavily on industrial process water.

Industrial Process Water Characteristics

The following are some essential traits of industrial process water:

Quality and Purity: Depending on the demands of the process it is utilised in; industrial process water must adhere to strict quality and purity criteria. Also, depending on the sector and particular use, the level of purity and quality may change.
Cooling & Heat Transfer: Industrial process water is frequently utilised in a variety of manufacturing processes to cool things down. Hence, maintaining ideal temperatures and avoiding equipment damage aids in the removal of heat produced during processes or equipment operations.
Cleaning & Rinsing: Water is used for cleaning, rinsing, and washing purposes in many industrial operations. It also assists in removing leftovers, pollutants, or undesirable substances from goods, machinery, or surfaces.
Treatment & conditioning: To get rid of impurities, pollutants, and potentially dangerous compounds, industrial water processes frequently go through treatment processes. Hence, to ensure the water meets the appropriate standards, treatment techniques may include filtration, sedimentation, chemical treatment, disinfection, and other procedures.
Process Dilution & Mixing: Industrial process water is used for diluting or mixing various substances, chemicals, or raw materials in manufacturing processes. It also helps in achieving the desired concentration or consistency of the final product.
Waste Management: Industrial process water treatment will become wastewater after use. Proper management of wastewater is essential to ensure compliance with environmental regulations. Although, wastewater will undergo treatment processes to remove pollutants into appropriate treatment systems.

Introduction: Anaerobic Digestion

Anaerobic digestion is a biological process that breaks down organic materials without oxygen, converting them into biogas and digestate. It involves the activity of microorganisms that decompose organic matter, such as food waste, agricultural residues, sewage sludge, and other organic materials.

Here are some environmental benefits of anaerobic digester systems:

Biogas Production: Anaerobic digestion produces biogas, a mixture primarily composed of methane and carbon dioxide. It captures and store biogas as a renewable energy source. It captures methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Moreover, it also reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Renewable Energy Generation: Biogas produced from anaerobic digestion can be used as a source of renewable energy. It can be used in industrial power plants, for heating, or as fuel for vehicles. By utilising biogas, anaerobic digesters contribute to reducing reliance on fossil fuels, mitigating climate change, and promoting sustainable energy production.
Revenue Generation: Anaerobic digesters can generate revenue streams through the sale of biogas, electricity, or heat. Biogas will purify and upgrade to biomethane. It is useful as a natural gas grid or as a transportation fuel. Moreover, selling these products can create additional sources of income for businesses.
Food & beverage production: The food and beverage sector produces a sizable amount of organic waste. It includes packaging, processing, & food leftovers. Hence, this waste stream rectifies using anaerobic digesters, which generate digestate and biogas for use as fertiliser and electricity.
Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction: Anaerobic digestion helps to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in multiple ways. Firstly, it captures & utilises methane, a potent greenhouse gas with a much higher global warming potential than carbon dioxide. Secondly, it reduces the need for landfilling organic waste, which can generate methane emissions in anaerobic conditions. Also, it reduces methane emissions by diverting organic waste to anaerobic digesters.
Waste Diversion & Management: Anaerobic digestion provides an effective waste management solution by diverting organic waste from landfills. Organic waste in landfills decomposes anaerobically, releasing methane into the atmosphere. Altogether, organic waste is handled and valuable resources are recovered in the form of digestate and biogas by sending it to anaerobic digesters.
Digestate as Fertilizer: The byproduct of anaerobic digestion is digestate, which is a nutrient-rich material that can be used as an organic fertiliser. Digestate also contains valuable nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which can be applied to agricultural land, improving soil quality and reducing the need for synthetic fertilisers.
Odour and Pathogen Reduction: Anaerobic digestion helps to reduce odours associated with organic waste decomposition. So, by treating organic waste in anaerobic digesters the release of unpleasant odours also reduces. Additionally, the digestion process destroys pathogens present in organic waste, making the digestate safer for agricultural use.
Water Quality Protection: Proper management of organic waste through anaerobic digestion prevents its release into water bodies, reducing the risk of water pollution. The potential for generation & contamination of groundwater also reduces by diverting organic waste from landfills or open storage.
Local Economic Development: Anaerobic digesters can have positive impacts on local economies. They provide opportunities for local businesses and contractors involved in the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the systems. Additionally, the production and utilisation of biogas can support local energy markets and contribute to energy diversification.
Producing nutrient-rich fertiliser: Anaerobic digestion produces nutrient-rich fertilisers to improve soil health & increase crop yields. Eventually, the digestate produced in anaerobic digestion is rich in nitrogen, and phosphorus.

Considerations: Implementing Anaerobic Digester Systems

Feedstock: The type of organic material that will be processed in the digester is important. Feedstocks high in fats, proteins and carbohydrates are best. It also evaluates the consistency and availability of the feedstock.
Digester type: There are different types of anaerobic digesters like covered lagoons, plug flow, complete mix, fixed film, etc. Although, the right type depends on factors like the feedstock, desired output, and cost.
Pre-treatment: Pre-treating feedstocks by grinding, mixing with water, heating, etc. can help improve digester performance. However, pre-treatment adds costs.
Retention time: It refers to the amount of time feedstocks remain in the digester. Longer retention times allow for greater decomposition but require larger digesters. Hence, retention time depends on feedstock type, temperature and digester design.

Water treatment's goal is to safeguard the safety of water for industrial processes and stop any damage to the environment or machinery. Water treatment facilities work to create and implement industrial waste treatment strategies that are both inexpensive and chemically minimal. These techniques are helpful in wastewater treatment plants and aid in reducing the damaging environmental effects of industrial activity.