Veolia Water Technologies aids a dairy major in recovering water

One of the leading dairy companies in South India emerged as the first dairy player to recycle 100 percent water using Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions’ MBR technology and Zero Liquid Discharge system for its Mega Plant.

· The use of recycled water helps the Erode plant save 6,00,000 litres of river water.

· Veolia WTS’s MBR-based wastewater treatment plant, followed by a recycling plant, helped the company redirect finite groundwater sources for treated water back for domestic utility purposes.

· The company prioritises sustainability goals over additional costs by choosing Veolia’s ZLD plant to avoid wastewater discharge into the surrounding ecosystem.

One of the fastest-growing private dairy players has been taking pioneering steps in its sector towards sustainability on the back of Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions’ membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology, followed by High Recovery Wastewater treatment plant and Power Driven (MVR) Zero Liquid Discharge system at its Mega Plant in Erode.

Having begun as the best paneer brand in Tamil Nadu and other southern states of India, the company has emerged as the only dairy in India to convert all the milk procured into value-added products with 150+ stock-keeping units (SKUs) across 20 categories.

Today, the brand is synonymous with quality dairy products like Curd, Fresh Paneer (cottage cheese), Mozzarella Cheese, Cheddar Cheese, Processed Cheese, and Gouda Cheese, apart from other value-added products like cream, butter, ghee, ice cream, curd and other dairy-based Indian sweets.

In the last four years since the commissioning of the 6,00,000 litres per day wastewater treatment plant and 60,000 litres per day Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) plant with the help of Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions, the dairy products manufacturing company has been instrumental in sustaining the environment as well as the community in the region.

Roughly 6,00,000 litres of river water has been salvaged from disposal to domestic ground, affecting nearby villagers’ livelihoods. Consumption of fresh water is reduced in the Erode, with 10,000 households in the region benefiting from uninterrupted access to fresh water supply for domestic use to nearby villagers as an indirect impact of the MBR Wastewater Recycle Plant.

 Prioritising sustainability

The customer’s decision to select Veolia Water Technologies and Solutions’ MBR technology was also driven by the dairy player’s sustainability goals. The company’s conscious efforts to reduce carbon footprint led to the selection of Veolia Water Technologies and Solutions’ MVR technology for the Zero Liquid Discharge system, which operates on Power rather than conventional steam evaporators that help in the reduction of the burning of fossil fuels. The company leadership has walked the talk among its dairy industry peers by prioritising sustainability.

“Unlike its peers that recycle roughly 30 percent-40 percent of wastewater and discharge the rest of it into the adjoining ecosystem, the customer has prioritised sustainability. This meant bearing an additional burden over and above the project cost. Still, the customer has continued to consider such costs as an investment into sustainability and further selected Veolia WTS for treating an additional 1.2 MLD ( 12,00,000 litres per day) of wastewater wherein ~ 10,00,000 litres per day water will be recycled and reused for utility operation purposes. The plant is expected to be commissioned by the end of the year,” Gopal Madabhushi, Senior Vice President, Veolia WTS, South Asia.

 On-the-go learning and innovation

The project has also acted as a stepping stone toward innovation. The private diary major has the foresight to adopt new technologies across its products and services value chain. This has been evident with the company’s decision to recycle 100 percent of wastewater through Veolia Water Technologies and Solutions’ Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) plant.

 Way forward

In the future, as part of its long-term vision, the company will continue to prioritise sustainability goals over additional costs as it partners with Veolia Water Technologies and Solutions to avoid the discharge of treated water in the surrounding ecosystem.

With the customer eyeing the expansion of its plants, the dairy player continues to rely on Veolia’s innovation and excellence to meet its sustainability goals. In doing so, the customer has paved the way for other dairies to solve water challenges through sustainable technology solutions.

For more info visit: https://www.veolia.com/en

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