As a supplier of holistic industrial wastewater treatment solutions we offer made-to-order and turnkey industrial plants. One example of such is this project in Trinidad & Tobago from 2023:

CUSS extensively renewed and expanded an existing wastewater treatment plant for a distillery in Trinidad and Tobago.

The works included:

-          Conversion of the existing but not functioning anaerobic reactor to a CSTR with reliable anaerobic degradation of contaminants

-          The aerobic treatment has been expanded by a selector tank and an aeration basin.

-          A tertiary treatment consisting of sand- and activated carbon filters was implemented.

NUMBERS & FACTS:

·         Place: Laventille, Trinidad & Tobago

·         Hydraulic plant capacity: 350 m³/d

·         Year of construction: 2023

CONCEPTUAL FORMULATION

The wastewater treatment plant already operated by the client could not meet the required wastewater values. CUSS was commissioned to expand the plant and renew it where necessary. In addition to a tender prepared by the client, a visit to the existing plant by a CUSS project engineer was taken as the starting point for the changes made.

Since wastewater from distilleries have very high concentrations of organic material, anaerobic processes are particularly suitable. CSTR technology was chosen because they are operationally stable and uncomplicated to operate. For the solid-liquid separation of the anaerobic sludge-water mixture from the reactor, a belt press and a dissolved air flotation system have been installed. The separated sludge is temporarily stored in a sludge tank and then returned to the reactor.

The anaerobic process keeps operating costs low, as no aeration is required and maintenance is low. Furthermore, biological sludge growth and the associated amount of waste is low. The biogas produced is collected in the gas phase of the reactor and then desulphurised and burnt to avoid the emission of climate-damaging gases such as methane. In the future, there is the option of using the biogas for energy recovery.

The biological load remaining in the wastewater is removed in a downstream aerobic process. This treatment step was optimised with a new selector and aeration tank. In addition, very efficient and quiet rotary lobe compressors were installed.

A sand filter, a post-aeration system and an activated carbon filter are installed as tertiary treatment step. The required effluent values are reliably achieved.

ABWASSERINHALTSSTOFFE:

·         Very high organic load

·         High concentration of solved solids

PROCESS STEPS:

·         Equalisation and neutralisation

·         Anaerobic treatment

·         Aerobic treatment

·         Dissolved air flotation

·         Sand filter

·         Activated carbon filter

·         Sludge dewatering