Giovanni Silvestri – VEOLIA
Today, environmental sustainability and circularity are key challenges for businesses. In this context, a paint factory that designs and manufactures environment-friendly paints, enamels and quality products for the building trade, industry and do-it-yourself and has 3 specialized laboratories, 1 product Testing Centre, 1 Research and Development Centre, starts to search for a solution able to reduce the amount of waste to dispose of.
Aware of the high costs for disposal and the negative environmental impact, the company has recognized economic savings and sustainable production as strategic objectives. Evaled has responded to the challenge by proposing its evaporators, innovative and environmentally friendly wastewater treatment solutions, offering opportunities for ZLD, water recovery and
reuse for all industries wishing to improve the environmental impact of their water cycle.
Evaporation in this case was proposed not only as the final treatment step of the liquid waste, but becomes an integral part employed within the production line: the wastewater flows, once treated by the evaporator, can be reused in the production process itself.
An evaporator from the PC R series was used, which combines the versatility of heat pump technology with the efficiency of the scraping system installed inside the boiling chamber, allowing treatment even at low temperatures (down to 40° C), achieving high levels of concentration. These evaporators have been specifically designed to treat the most difficult liquids to manage, such as viscous, saline or sedimentary liquids, and represent the ideal solution for the treatment of pre-concentrated liquids, aimed at maximum reduction in wastewater disposal volumes and costs.
This solution has transformed wastewater from an environmental and waste management problem into an opportunity for water reuse and material recovery. The evaporator has proved particularly effective in meeting the company’s needs, thanks to its low energy consumption and high reliability. The Evaled PC R 2 has enabled the production of a high-quality distillate and a significant reduction in the pollutant load of the effluent: up to 95% of the water has been reused, with a 20-fold increase in concentration; downstream of the process, what remains (the concentrate) to be disposed of is 5% of the initial wastewater.
In addition to the environmental benefits, the initiative has also had a significant social and economic impact. By reducing disposal costs and optimising production processes, the company has been able to improve its competitiveness in the marketplace while maintaining the quality standards of its products and services. In addition, the adoption of sustainable practices has helped to improve the company’s image.
The case of the paint factory is a concrete example of how environmental challenges can be turned into opportunities for growth and innovation. By working with Evaled and adopting advanced wastewater treatment solutions, the company has demonstrated that it is possible to combine economic growth with environmental responsibility. This case highlights the importance of an integrated approach to waste management that goes beyond traditional disposal and promotes resource reuse and recovery. In conclusion, it has shown that the transition to more sustainable practices is not only possible, but also beneficial in many ways, providing a model for other companies wishing to follow the same path towards more responsible and sustainable production.
Evaled evaporators are effective and reliable solutions for the treatment of water containing pollutants which often represent a very difficult challenge for most of the water treatment technologies available on the market, in compliance with the requirements for industry 4.0 and industry 5.0.
The units are divided into three product families based on the heat exchange technology used: heat pump, hot/cold water and mechanical vapor recompression. They have treatment capacities ranging from 0.1 to 120 tons/day, are applicable to almost all types of industry and allow yields of up to 95-97% of reusable distillate production.
In the sector of the production of water-based paints they boast various references in Italy and abroad.
Evaled is a Technological Business Unit of the Veolia Group, a global leader in services and technologies for water treatment.
