Anaerobic DIGEFLO in juice factory

Over 1500m³/d of condensed wastewater and UF concentrate is converted into valuable biogas and freshwater

A manufacturer of fruit concentrates contracted us in 2022 to modernize, reconstruct and expand its wastewater treatment plant from 400m³/d to 1500m³/d including an anaerobic stage, biogas treatment and valorization, and efficient aerobic post-treatment. 

The DIGEFLO™ – high rate anaerobic WWTP stage was accompanied by efficient, space saving aerobic treatment – FloatChip™ MBBR reactor followed by AeroMem™ membrane bioreactor. Only this configuration allowed the construction of a treatment plant with a load equivalent to a city with a population of 120,000 inhabitants, in the minimum available area. SYMBIONA carried out the modernization and expansion on a turnkey basis.

DIGEFLO™ is SYMBIONA’s proprietary solution that enables the entire wastewater stream to be biogasified without pre-treatment (removal of suspended solids, fats and grease). 

This enables the production of more biogas than the granular sludge-based systems popular in the industry. This higher yield is made possible by putting into methane fermentation also those fractions that are usually removed at the stage preceding the anaerobic reactor. Thus, with DIGEFLO, savings are generated – there is no pre-treatment (e.g., flotation by air) which means less expenditure on chemicals and zero pre-treatment waste. DIGEFLO™ is the leading net zero solution, a which also fits in with the principles of circular economy, where waste, an unwanted raw material, becomes a source of further profits. 

Biogas, produced at DIFEGLO, is a benefit that allows the production of its own electricity or heat used for the needs of the factory, thus increasing energy security and thus the autonomy of the plant.

The AeroMem™ membrane reactor, which is the final stage of treatment, allow the plant to safely discharge the entire wastewater stream into the environment. This is yet another realization by SYMBIONA in MBR technology, confirming the highest quality of solutions offered by the company.