Page 39 - Food&Drink Business Magazine July-August 2020

MAIN: Co-generation can be an excellent power solution for the right company. RIGHT: Every client needs to be assessed individually on gas, power, food waste, and water usage.
In terms of sustainability, we thought that collecting rainwater from the roof would be a good idea. The facility has quite a large roof area but the cost of a rainwater tank and the space it would take, coupled with the cheap price of potable water, made it economically inefficient.
Health and safety regulations require any water used in production must be potable, so collected rainwater cannot be used unless treated. But the process and cost of treating it for re-use outstrips the cost per megalitre of supplied
potable water.
Most councils will force
manufacturers to install retention tanks for rainwater. In these cases, it makes sense to find uses for the rainwater so that it is a benefit for the
manufacturer and environment. When it came to the facility’s
wastewater discharge, it was determined that a dissolved air flotation (DAF) plant would be the best option.
A DAF dissolves airs in water under high pressure then releases it at atmospheric pressure, causing solids to float to the surface with the bubbles, where they are removed.
An emerging technology for the processing of solid waste
where micro-organisms digest the food waste into a liquid product that can be discharged into the sewer was found to suit the needs of the plant, as it would dramatically reduce waste disposal costs.
This method allows environmental sensitivity and operational costs savings.
This is a good example of how particular technologies and methods, while not always suitable for some operations,
can be beneficial and sensible in others.
Each client needs to be assessed individually on their usage of gas, power, the amount of food waste produced, and the amount of water they have
to recycle.
It is not a case of saying other technologies are unworkable and that solar is the only way to go, you have to weigh each option and determine which one suits an individual client and their particular needs.
The choice needs to be bespoke for the operation and based on decisions made
after a comprehensive business analysis process. ✷
✷ ABOUTTHEAUTHOR
ENVIRONMENT MATTERS
Rob Blythman is the managing director of Total Construction’s
Engineering Construction
Group, its division that
specialises in F&B, energy & waste, and manufacturing projects.
www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au | July/August 2020 | Food&Drink business | 39