Realizing cost savings and discovering circular flows thanks to smart metering

Wastewater and process control can save companies a lot of money, for example in the dairy industry. Bert Offereins of Ingenieursbureau Lievense tells during the Instrumentation & Analysis event how, in addition to cost savings, circular flows can also be achieved.

Wastewater is a calculated loss item for many companies, partly due to the raw material losses and discharge costs that occur during production. Offereins explains: “If you discharge into the sewer, you pay for the pollution units. That costs 50 euros per pollution unit. For a dairy factory, discharging 1 liter of milk already costs 231 euros per year.”

According to Offereins, savings are possible on these costs: “Our business model is to look back from the wastewater to the cause of the discharge. We are going to measure the wastewater and try to make the connection with the process management. At a dairy factory, the losses occur when cleaning a tank that has contained milk. For example, you can see whether you can perform a so-called top rinse to save money.”

The engineering firm uses sensors for the measurements. These measure the wastewater in, among other things, wastewater wells, clean in place-systems and critical phase separation. Dissolved materials and particles can be detected in this way.

Savings potential

Offereins continues: “You collect data and, based on accepted losses, you reason the potential savings. And I try to translate this data into a benchmark. What am I allowed to lose when I fill and empty a tank? In this way, I give companies more insight: is this normal what I measure or not?”

According to Offereins, this instrumentation and analysis technology is not only applicable in the dairy industry: “Wherever raw material prices are high, this knowledge is beneficial,” he says. For example, he has also applied his acquired knowledge in the sauce industry and at paper mills.

Finally, the measurements can also ensure that companies start thinking more about possible possibilities for dealing with raw materials in a circular manner: “I look at it vertically: what do I see in the sewer? I also measure water consumption to see what I can make circular. In fact, we look at the chain from the other side.”

Do you want to know more? Register for a visit to the I&A event 2019.