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Huyghe brewery reuses up to 70% treated water

At Pantarein Water, we strive for long-term relationships. So we make sure our customers’ water treatment plant grows along with them. An excellent example is the partnership with Brewery Huyghe in Melle, known for Delirium Tremens, among others. 

At the start of the collaboration, we developed a master plan outlining various steps to increase the capacity, sustainability and circularity of the existing treatment plant. At the start in 2012, the existing treatment plant was fitted with a membrane filtration (MBR) to double the capacity and to ensure that the quality of the effluent meets the standards for surface water at all times. At the same time, we drew up a plan together with the brewery to reduce the specific water consumption in the brewery and limit beer losses.

An important step was taken in 2016 with the commissioning of reverse osmosis (RO), which further upgrades the effluent from the water treatment to drinking water quality. This water is mixed with the existing water sources (ground and tap water) and used for all cleaning processes in the brewery.

In 2019 it was time for a thorough expansion to anticipate the rapid growth of the brewery. Anaerobic pre-treatment ensures that up to 80% of the COD load is converted into biogas in an energy-efficient manner. The anaerobic effluent is further purified in the existing bioreactor that has been hydraulically doubled in capacity (MBR). Finally, a second RO unit will provide water savings of up to 70% in the long term. Thanks to reuse and savings in the production process, the water consumption of the brewery has been greatly reduced. In 2008, 8.6 liters of water was needed to brew 1 liter of beer, now it is 3 liters.

A final step followed in 2021: the valorization of the biogas through the production of electricity and heat. Since the start of the collaboration in 2012, Pantarein Water has been monitoring the treatment process via remote control and weekly visits on site.