The originality of the ZEUS approach is based on the dual objective of reducing water consumption and allowing effluent to be reused after treatment. It aims to demonstrate the efficiency of the advanced recycling process and the separation of flows (water/salts/nutrients) to regenerate and reuse them in proportions greater than 75%. The innovation is based on the combination of these techniques carried out under real conditions.
Following a study of the various flows and uses carried out in 2019 at the MONIN factory demonstration site in Bourges, 90% of the treated industrial wastewater can be reused, provided that it is capable of producing water suitable for contact with food. The design of the plant, the risk analysis approach and the innovative responses must guarantee the safety of the finished product in terms of water quality.
A study based on the state of the art, carried out jointly by INSA, OiEau and MONIN, highlighted the benefits of membrane filtration in terms of performance, cost, ease of implementation and operation. Separate treatment of the flows will enable low-pressure operation, a more efficient solution than conventional methods in terms of energy consumption and operating costs.
The membrane technologies proposed by CHEMDOC WATER have been identified, then completed by a pilot test.
In July 2020, CHEMDOC proposed creating a consortium with a view to submitting a bid to the European Commission's LIFE programme, in order to demonstrate the technical and economic interest of the project and to enable the technologies to be disseminated and duplicated by other manufacturers.
On an industrial scale, two membrane filtration prototypes integrated into the MONIN site's process installations will form the LIFE ZEUS demonstrator:
- R-Oasys® for the treatment of organic flows will use: an MF membrane, designed in a proven and reliable material that has never been used in this configuration, a low-pressure nanofiltration membrane enabling effective treatment of sugar effluents, and a water finishing treatment using reverse osmosis. The low pressure and high permeability of the system will ensure exceptional energy performance.
- ReGeCycle® for the specific treatment of saline flows from softeners with a view to reusing concentrated brine as a salt substitute.
The two TRL6 prototypes are based on nanofiltration and advanced, well-known and reliable materials (silicon carbide).
Thanks to the LIFE ZEUS project, the demonstrator currently at TRL 6 will reach TRL 8 by the end of the project, taking into account performance over time, operating cleaning conditions and optimum operating parameters.