Potato waste fuels Waterleau’s New Energy plantWaterleau, the global provider of anaerobic technology helping potato processors to turn wastewater and potato waste into energy, uses potato waste to fuel its own Anaerobic Digestion R&D center, Waterleau New Energy, located near Ypres, Belgium.

The Waterleau New Energy plant is designed to treat different types of biomass: bio-crops, manure, chicken litter, slaughterhouse waste and waste from the food processing industry, fi. the potato processing industry. Nearly 40% of the organic waste valorized in the plant finds its origin in the potato processing industry: potato peals, grey starch, french fries and different fats.

60% OF POWER NEEDS RECOVERED FROM DIGESTION OF POTATO WASTE

Having built more than 500 turn-key anaerobic treatment plants in all industries, Waterleau has acquired an extensive know-how in anaerobic technology. This proprietary know-how has resulted in a full range of anaerobic reactors, capable of treating all types of bio-effluent and organic waste. Many potato processing companies rely on Waterleau technology for the reduction of their water and energy footprint. Waterleau claims up to 60% of the power needs of a potato processing plant can be recovered from anaerobic treatment of bio-effluent and organic potato waste.

+30 REFERENCES IN POTATO INDUSTRY

Despite the current low oil price and an increased demand for waste products, anaerobic digestion is becoming a strategic and sustainable solution to keep energy costs under control. The technology has long been implemented in the brewery industry; Waterleau has built more than 100 anaerobic digestion plants for brewery effluent. But the potato processing industry is catching up, with Waterleau having built 30 wastewater and

potato waste treatment plants. Today, more than ever, wastewater and potato waste have become major contributors to keep the energy bill under control.

WATER RE-USE AND VALORIZATION OF DIGESTATE

The Waterleau New Energy plant is also innovative in water reuse. All the needed process water is recovered from the digested waste streams based on Waterleau BOOMERANG® technology. With COD and N levels close to zero, the water, clean as tap water, is used for cleaning, to feed the cooling tower or for liquid polymer preparation.Finally, the remaining solid fraction from digestion and centrifugation is further dried into a valuable dry organic fertilizer, rich in phosphorus, while the liquid fraction undergoes an aerobic post-treatment step followed by an evaporation step and ammonia scrubbing to recover Potassium (K), Phosphate (P) and Nitrogen (N).

ZERO-WASTE FOOD PROCESSING

The Waterleau New Energy plant is a show case attracting visitors from the potato processing industry to see a state-of-the-art and zero-waste food processing plant: energy and water are recovered and digestate and nutrients are turned into valuable fertilizer.At full capacity, the Waterleau New Energy plant produces 3.2 MW of green electricity, which is the equivalent of the energy needs for a city of 25.000 inhabitants.

Contact? potatopower@waterleau.com +32 16 650 657