TRANSFORMING WASTEWATER INTO VALUABLE FEEDSTOCK FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HIGH-QUALITY BIODIESEL AT ARGENT

The latest Eco Clarity Waste Conversion Hub has been set up in the UK, at Argent’s site in Stanlow, Ellesmere Port. Eco Clarity is focused on revolutionising the way wastewater is handled by turning the process from one of disposal, into one of conversion into effectively clean water, by filtering out beneficial oil residues which can then go on to be used as raw material for the production of biodiesel.

HOW ECO-CLARITY WORKS

Eco-Clarity has created a patented technology solution that easily collects and separates fat, oils and grease (FOG) from waste water through an efficient and fully automatic hub system made up of three scalable containers.

The system enables FOG to be separated before it enters the water system and becomes problematic. The cleaned water is then being reused or safely returned to the waste stream. In turn, the successfully separated FOG becomes a sustainable raw material that can be used to produce second-generation biodiesel.

A standard Eco Clarity hub can handle 10 tonnes of FOG containing waste water in 10 minutes, which can then go on to be separated and harvested within 30 minutes. The hub’s efficient system currently uses just 25% of the energy typically used in similar processes, with temperatures never exceeding 60 degrees to ensure a low energy consumption.

VALUABLE FEEDSTOCK RESULTS

The oil recovered goes up from 5% to 98% concentration after going through the Eco Clarity system, turning it into a desirable raw material for biodiesel production.

Eco Clarity is transforming the wastewater disposal process by extracting a valuable raw material whilst improving the water quality that is being disposed of.

PRODUCTION AT ARGENT

The first tonnes of biodiesel made from the FOG from the EcoClarity hub has been produced. By turning the feedstock into second-generation biodiesel, a sustainable alternative to fossil fuel, this material will go on to reduce GHG emissions by around 90%, having a direct impact on the world’s carbon footprint.

Argent always aims to accept a wide range of highly de-graded waste fats, oils and greases to give them a new purpose as high quality biodiesel to help towards the decarbonisation of transport, among other industries.

Through Eco Clarity and Argent Energy, valuable renewable resources have been created from materials that may otherwise have ended up discarded.

Source: Argent Energy

Eco Clarity works with Argent on decarbonisation

THE SOLUTION

Eco-Clarity Ltd, has developed a “Hub” solution for the GTW separation that is efficient, fully automatic and has a small footprint in physical and energy consumption terms. Eco Clarity and Argent Energy have a shared belief that GTW collection and processing industry wide can improve significantly. Although they are not a fats collector, Argent Energy has enabled Eco Clarity to run trials of its new technology solution at their site in Amsterdam to help demonstrate the reliability and decarbonisation value of this route to biodiesel for processed fats.

During the trial, GTW collected from the Amsterdam region is discharged and separated at the Argent facility, producing a fraction of Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) for biodiesel production. Suspended solids are fed to bio gas production and the waste water has a significantly reduced chemical oxygen demand (COD).

Eco Clarity’s Hubs have a small footprint of 10m2, made up of an automated Huber solids screen, two 20’ foot treatment containers, and a 20 foot FOG post processing and storage container.

A standard Eco Clarity GTW Hub, is capable of accepting 10 tonnes of GTW in 10 minutes, with a further 10 tonne truck each 15-20 minutes thereafter. Being automated the system is able to receive waste 24/7. With a quick setup, the Eco Clarity GTW Conversion Hub was ready to process waste within 3 days of delivery.

RESULTS AND BENEFITS

From first 320 tonnes of waste accepted at the Hub, Eco Clarity was able to harvest 30 tonnes of concentrated FOG and FOG containing solids, as a feedstock for biodiesel production, analysis shows that there is 99.99% reduction of FOG within the discharge effluent and an average 30% reduction in COD, with a PH of between 4 to 5.

 The above table shows the average effluent results, after treatment 

The ratio of GTW to de-watered FOG depends on the volume of FOG within the GTW load and where the trucks have collected that day. Some loads may have low volume of less than 2-3% whilst others have as much as 20%.

Within two weeks of operating, Eco Clarity were accepting all the daily loads from the 5 x trucks and during slow periods have started on the processing of materials stored in the local storage tank.

The plant accepts 20 tonnes of GTW per hour and has processed GTW 24/7 when in automated mode.  Maximum power consumption when accepting waste is 40kWh, and when in maintenance and harvesting mode it is aproximately 5kWh.