• New treatment system will produce biogas, a renewable fuel, for use in Pratt's recycled paper plant
ROCHESTER, NY, Feb. 27, 2008 -- Ecovation, a developer of value-driven waste to energy solutions, announced that it has signed a contract to design and build a wastewater treatment system at Pratt Paper's new recycled paper mill in Shreveport, Louisiana. The wastewater treatment facility is expected to significantly offset the plant's energy usage with the production of renewable biogas. The project is expected to generate 156 MMBtu's per day of biogas upon completion, targeted for November 2008.
The system will treat plant effluent from Pratt's 100% recycled paper mill, using the Biotim Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) technology. The plant's wastewater stream will be treated in an anaerobic reactor, where a floating blanket of bacteria, or "sludge granules," will digest the organic contaminants in the wastewater, producing a mix of carbon dioxide and methane known as biogas. The treated water, biogas and sludge mixture will subsequently travel through a proprietary solid, liquid and gas separation process. The biogas will be reclaimed for use as a renewable fuel source in the plant's boilers, while treated water will be discharged and the remaining sludge granules recycled for use in the anaerobic reactor, or sold as seed sludge for other anaerobic systems.
Pratt Paper's new Shreveport plant will manufacture corrugated cardboard from recycled materials. Ecovation's wastewater treatment solution will enable the facility to comply with permitted discharge limits, while providing a renewable source of energy to offset the plant's fuel consumption. Pratt previously installed the Biotim UASB technology at a similar facility in Brisbane, Australia. The UASB process allows for high loading capacity and efficient energy recovery, facilitating optimal extraction of biogas from dilute waste streams and very high flows.
"Ecovation provided a crucial solution for the environmental guidelines associated with our new project," said Jenny Landelli, Project Engineer of the Pratt Paper plant. "Ecovation's proposal was competitively priced, and their technology, experience and ability to meet our tight schedule really stood out. This project will help keep our new recycled paper mill in compliance, and support Pratt's commitment to environmental stewardship."
Ecovation's customized solution will provide low-cost wastewater treatment for the Pratt facility, while the company's fast-track design and build approach will enable the paper plant to achieve operational status on schedule.
"This project with Pratt Paper represents our entrance into a new market, and offers further proof that our customized solutions can offer waste disposal and energy cost savings to customers in a variety of industries, while also helping reduce their environmental footprints," said Diane C. Creel, Chairman and CEO of Ecovation.
Ecovation, recently purchased by Ecolab, provides value-driven, sustainable solutions to meet the wastewater management and renewable energy needs of industrial clients.
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Also see: "Ecolab to acquire provider of energy, water, effluent management systems"
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