AEMA | Bondalti will present on June 15, at the La Grajera Institutional Winery in Logroño (La Rioja, Spain), an innovative wastewater treatment and valuation system developed within the framework of the European LIFE Multi-AD 4 AgroSmes Project.
AEMA | Bondalti is the coordinator of the consortium that develops this initiative co-financed by the European Commission, whose objective is to establish new levels of efficiency in water management as a critical factor for the competitiveness of SMEs in the EU's agri-food sector. Institutions&Strategies (France), Energygreen Gas and ITAINNOVA (Spain) and SIS (Romania) also participate in this consortium.
Given the weight of this productive sector in the European business fabric - it is the second largest in the continent and composed of 95% of SMEs -, the responsible and sustainable use of water resources is strategic, for which a new technological paradigm is needed that allows companies to evolve towards a circular economy model.
Currently, the most used water treatment systems in the food and beverage industry are the aerobic ones. These processes are characterized by high energy requirements and high waste production (i.e. sludge), elements that create significant operating costs associated with purification systems.
The reality of a technological leap
The LIFE Multi-AD project focused on the needs of agri-food SMEs, creating a highly efficient and accessible anaerobic system, based on a high-performance multi-stage reactor. Technology allows companies in the sector to improve their sustainability, both in economic and environmental terms.
The innovative Multi-AD solution, installed on an industrial scale at Bodegas AGE, demonstrated its capacity to reduce wastewater contamination by more than 90%, as well as the potential to reduce electricity consumption in purification processes by 186,000 kWh/year and the cost of managing sludge by around 80%.
Simultaneously with wastewater purification, Multi-AD technology produces high-quality biogas with a methane content of more than 80%. This fuel gas is used as a source of thermal energy in the purification system itself, although it can also be used in other areas of the industrial installation, helping to advance the achievement of decarbonization goals.
All these facts make it possible to reduce the operating costs of the water treatment system by more than 35% and the halving of the carbon footprint associated with purification. Multi-AD is, therefore, an innovative solution that improves industrial sustainability in the agri-food sector.
Technology presentation event
Taking into account the positive impact that this technology can have on European companies, a conference will be held on June 15 at the Institutional Winery of La Grajera (Logroño, La Rioja) followed by a visit to the facilities located at Bodegas AGE (Fuenmayor, Rioja).
The meeting will be a forum for networking which will include the participation of specialists from the water sector, public administration and food and beverage companies, who will discuss the benefits of integrating multi-AD technology into industrial purification systems.
The conference “Innovative anaerobic solution at the service of industrial sustainability”, at which it is now possible to register for In-person participation, can also be followed via streaming, with registration hereto.
