Biological treatment of wastewater from vegetable oil production is an important step to protect the environment from pollution. A company from Croatia has specialised in the production of sunflower seed oil. The wastewater comes from two sources: On the one hand, water is a waste product of oil production, and on the other hand, a large amount of wastewater is produced during the cleaning of the production facilities. Biological treatment of wastewater is therefore an optimal solution.
The challenge of this project was, on the one hand, the high volume of wastewater and, on the other hand, the high degree of pollution in the wastewater. The result of the high oil content in the wastewater was not only a high BOD and COD, but also an unbalanced ratio between carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus (C:N:P) as well as an unbalanced pH value. Biological treatment of wastewater from this industry is therefore only possible with a further treatment stage, such as flotation.
The customer already had a flotation system on the company’s premises. However, as this could not fulfil the desired purification performance, he additionally decided on a ClearFox® FBBR, combined with a lamella clarifier in a 20-foot HC ISO sea container. The initial focus was on COD reduction of up to 80% – the maximum COD removal is 150 kg/day. With the fixed bed module, the plant removes oils and fats up to 95%. It regulates the pH value to 6.5 to 8.0 and reduces the C:N:P ratio to 100:10:1. The resulting sludge is separated from the clear water by a lamella clarifier. This makes the wastewater suitable for direct discharge into a receiving watercourse.
The ClearFox® fixed bed biological reactor is one of the most efficient solutions for the biological treatment of wastewater on the market. The ClearFox® team adapts the growth area of the fixed bed material to the treatment requirements. By installing the complete wastewater treatment plant in a sea container, it can be easily transported by land and sea. Because it is pre-assembled in the main factory in Bayreuth, the customer only has to assemble and connect it at the site of operation. This makes a ClearFox® wastewater treatment plant ideal for the biological treatment of wastewater from vegetable oil production.
The ClearFox® FBBR uses a fixed bed material on which microorganisms grow. These biologically break down the organic contaminants in the wastewater. The system is modularly adaptable to handle different load levels, e.g. high COD or BOD values.
The ClearFox® FBBR is space-saving, efficient and easy to install. The container design makes it transportable and requires only minimal preparation on site. It also achieves a high COD and oil-fat reduction, which is essential for many industries.
The system effectively removes organic pollutants (COD/BOD), oils, fats and regulates the pH value. In addition, the C:N:P ratio is optimized to promote biological degradation.
The system is delivered pre-assembled. Only minimal work is required on site, such as connecting to the existing systems. Commissioning is quick and can be carried out by the ClearFox® team on request.
Yes, the ClearFox® FBBR is not limited to vegetable oil production. It is suitable for various industrial applications, such as the food and beverage industry or the treatment of municipal wastewater.
