Aerobic MBR for cheese factory meets high BNR requirements

Task

One of the oldest dairies in the Polish market SM Ryki was planning how to increase its production. The factory was discharging untreated wastewater into the municipal sewage treatment plant. However, the rising costs and unfavourable contract hindered its expansion. SM Ryki decided to build its own, fully independent wastewater treatment plant. The client requested a modern, fully automated solution which was to comply with local requirements.  The minimization of the impact on environment (90 metres from the plant there was a shopping mall) and complete bionutrient (BNR) removal consititued the key issues. The research showed that the only possibility of effluent discharge is connection to very clean fish ponds and thus very high effluent parameters must have been .Having assessed all these aspects, the use of AeroMem™ (membrane bioreactor) was suggested, preceded with proper buffering and influent control.

 

Innovation

Therefore, the first membrane bioreactor in the dairy industry in Poland was to be built. It was designed in shape of a closed cuboid building and was to have no impact on environment. All its functions, including buffering, treatment, membrane separation, sludge dewatering and disinfection or sludge storage are hidden resulting with no emissions. The leading technology is the aerobic membrane bioreactor using submerged membranes in function of secondary settling tank. It processes in average 1500 m3 of dairy sewage a day, it is fully automated and under supervision. what is more, the system adapts to changing flows and keeps stable very high quality of effluents. Treated sewage is feed to local fish ponds and then an additional reduction of TN is required (<10mg/l). Moreover, the modern system of dewatering and hygienisation of sludge allows to lower the costs and reutilize it  as agricultural fertilizer. The plant was designed to be expandable two times without any extra works.

Expected return on this innovation will be made within four years.

Technologies

  • - Aerobic MBR with submerged membranes (AeroMem™-SUB)
  • - Full BNR removal to achieve TN < 10mg/l
  • - Aerobic sludge stabilization
  • - Sludge dewatering and hygienisation to reduce pathogens

Capacity

  • Flow:Q=2000m3/d