CHALENGES IN ZERO DISCHARGE OF

MOLASSES EFFLUENT

(A Case History of Radico Khaitan Ltd)

By K .P. SINGH

The distillery of Radico Khaitan Ltd at Rampur was established in 1943 .

At present the daily production capacity of distillery is 300 KLPD .

Radico has Molasses Spirit , Grain Spirit & Malt Spirit Production.

DISTILLERIES

Initiatives taken by Radico to achieve Zero Effluent Discharge

VOLUME REDUCTION BY HIGH BRIX FERMENTATION

• We have batch fermentation in our Molasses Fermentation.

• Fermenters are MS epoxy coated and covered at the top for CO2 recovery.

• Molasses Quality in the State of U.P. does not suit to Continuous Fermentation.

• With High Brix Fermentation we are able to maintain 9.5 – 10% Alcohol in wash in a molasses having only 42- 43 % TRS.

REDUCTION IN VOLUME THROUGH IMPROVED FERMENTATION EFFICIENCY

• Fermentation efficiency is maintained between 91.5 - 92 % with better microbiology in yeast propagation and fermentation.

• Fresh yeast is used for every Fermenter .• Cell concentration in pre-fermenters is maintained

at 4 X108 .

• With the recycling of lees and condensate water as dilution water, fresh water consumption in fermentation is reduced by about 80% and water born contamination is almost Zero.

IMPROVEMENTS IN FERMENTATION

• Cooling of Wort through Heat Exchangers.• Cleaning of Fermenters through Spray balls water jet.• Temp. indicators on each Fermenter.• Use of cleaning agents for maintaining aseptic

conditions after washing of Fermenters through CIP system.

• Adequate nutrient dosing for facilitating quick fermentation.

Radico Khaitan Limited(Rampur Plant)

DESIGN BASIS(DISTILLATION WITH INTEGRATED RAW SPENT WASH EVAPORATION)

S. NO. DESCRIPTION QUANTITY

1. DISTILLATION PLANT WITH INTEGRATED EVAPORATORS

180 KLPD

2. ALCOHOL % IN MOLASSES BASED FERMENTED WASH 9.5 -10% V/V

3. Sp. WASH FEED TO EVAPORATOR 1690 TPD

4. SOLID CONCENTRATIONIN THE FEED 12% W/W (MIN)

5. SP. WASH INLET TEMPERATURE 82 DEG. C

6. FINAL SOLID CONCENTRATION AFTER EVAPORATION 22% W/W

7. EVAPORATION DUTY 760 TPD

8. PLANT OPERATION OPERATION: 24 HRS

DISTILLATION PLANT WITH INTEGRATED EVAPORATORS

• REDUCED GENERATION THROUGH MEE and RO .• RECYCLING LEES , PROCESS CONDENSATE AND PERMEATE.• TREATMENT OF RECYCLING STREAMS BASED ON IT’S

CHARACTERISTICS.• IMPROVED EFFICIENCY OF RO PLANT BY IMPROVED TSS

REDUCTION SYSTEM THROUGH SERIES OF SETTLERS , LAMELLA CLARIFIER AND DIFFUSED AERATION FLOATING MECHANISM WITH THE HELP OF SPECIAL POLYELECTROLYTES.

• UPGRADATION TO ACHIEVE UP TO 60% PERMEATE FROM RO.• PROJECT UNDER IMPLEMENTATION (PARTLY DELAYED IN ORDER TO

FIND A TECHNO-COMMERCIALLY FEASIBLE SOLUTION BY ROCHEM)

EFFLUENT MANAGEMENT(REDUCE, RECYCLE & REUSE EFFLUENT)

REDUCTION OF SPENT WASH – INTEGRATED RAW SPENT WASH EVAPORATION - RKL,RAMPUR (U.P.)

REDUCTION OF SPENT WASH – INTEGRATED RAW SPENT WASH EVAPORATION -RKL,

RAMPUR (U.P.)

S.NO. GURANTEED PARAMETERS UNIT VALUES

1. FEED TO THE EVAPORATOR TPD 16902. INITIAL SOLIDS CONCENTRATION %W/W 123. STEAM CONSUMPTION MT/KL 3.4

 4. FINAL SOLIDS CONCENTRATION %W/W 22

5. WATER EVAPORATION DUTY TPD 760

6.TOTAL PROCESS CONDENSATE GENERATED FROM EVAPORATION PLANT

TPD 760

7. POWER CONSUMPTION KWH 180

HIGHLIGHTS OF INTEGRATED RAW SPENT WASH EVAPORATION

THERE ARE TWO OPTIONS OF EVAPORATION :

1. EVAPORATION OF SPENT WASH THROUGH INTEGRATED / STAND ALONE EVAPORATORS.

2. EVAPORATION OF BIO - METHANATED SPENT WASH THROUGH INTEGRATED / STAND-ALONE EVAPORATORS.

RADICO HAS ADOPTED INTEGRATED EVAPORATORS OF SPENT WASH NO EXTRA STEAM IS REQUIRED, EVAPORATION IS CARRIED USING ALCOHOL VAPOURS.

COMPACT PROCESS & SMOOTH OPERATIONS IN HANDLING & CONCENTRATING SPENT WASH. STRUCTURAL COST IS REDUCED AS THE STRUCTURE FOR EVAPORTION PLANT IS MERGED WITH THAT OF THE DISTILLATION PLANT.

LESS MANPOWER IS REQUIRED, BOTH DISTILLATION & EVAPORATION PLANTS CAN BE OPERATED BY A COMMON OPERATOR.

PROCESS PUMP SEALING WATER REUSE SYSTEM

Total Water Savings = 95 %

Process PumpsFrom All Sections

Tank

Make up

VACUUM PUMP / AIR BLOWER SEALING WATER REUSE SYSTEM

Vacuum Pump / Air Blower

Tank

CWR

CWS

Cooler

Make up

Total Water Savings = 95 %

HIGHLIGHTS OF ADOPTING WATER RECYCLE, REUSE & TREATMENT SYSTEMS

• WATER RECOVERY AND ITS CONFIRM USAGE.

• REDUCTION IN LAND REQUIREMENT FOR BIO-

COMPOSTING OPERATIONS AND PRESS MUD

REQUIREMENT AS A RESULT OF EFFLUENT REDUCTION.

• REDUCTION IN WATER CONSUMPTION DUE TO HIGHER

RECYCLE OF TREATED PROCESS CONDENSATE.

OVERHEAD COOLING TOWER FOR ENERGY SAVING

ACHIEVEMENTS OF ADOPTING RSW EVAP TECHNOLOGY AT RKL,RAMPUR

SR.NO. DESCRIPTION1 SAVINGS ON ACCOUNT OF O/P COST FOR BIOCOMPOSTING

WITH REDUCED QTY2 SAVINGS OF PROCESS WATER ON ACCOUNT OF UNTREATED

PROCESS CONDENSATE RECYCLE TO FERMENTATION 3 SAVINGS OF PROCESS WATER ON ACCOUNT OF RECYCLE & REUSE

OF PUMP SEALING WATER,AIR BLOWER WATER.4 USE OF RO PERMEATE IN FERMENTATION AND COOLING

TOWER.

MOLASSES SPENT WASH MANAGEMENT ZERO SPENT WASH DISCHARGE

Sp. Wash from Distillation ,1690

M3 / day with 12% Solids

Multi effect Evaporators 40-45%

Reduction in volume

Anaerobic Digesters

BOD REDN-88% COD REDN- 67%

Series of Settlers ,DAF & Filter

Press for TSS Reduction

Conc, SP. Wash930 M3/d, BOD-

90,000, COD-1,90,000 Mg/L

22% solids

R.O. Plant 60%

REDN

880 M3/d

930 M3/d

COD-63,000 Mg/L

Recycled to Process (fermentation &

cooling Tower

Permeate

528 M3/d

BIO COMPOSTING

50 M3/d SludgeReject 352 M3/d

Condensate 760 M3/d

Challenges / New Initiatives

1. High TSS in Digester Outlet .

2. Low Efficiency of RO System due to High TSS in Digester Outlet effluent.

3. Permeate recovery only about 45%.

1. Installation of Degasser and Series of Clarifiers with Filter press.

2. Addition of Special Poly-electrolyte for better settling and Series of Lamella Clarifiers Followed by DAF System.

3. Achieving Up to 60% high grade permeate recovery after adopting above systems.

Challenges / New InitiativesNO Bio-Composting in Rainy Season

• Molasses Distilleries face problem in Bio-Composting in Rainy season.

Covered Bio-Composting

• Radico has covered composting area of about 6 acres since two years and practicing uninterrupted composting in rainy season in covered area.

• We have increased the covered area by another 8 acres this year. Now we have 14 acres of covered Bio-composting.

Reduction in Water Consumption through Recycling (Molasses Spirit Plant )

Stream Recycle TO1. Rectification, Pre-rectifier column

Lees Recycle Fermentation 90% recovery

2. Vacuum Pump water recycle Fermentation 90% recovery

3. Steam Condensate Recycle Boiler 90% recovery

4. Process Condensate recycle Fermentation 95% recovery

5. CO2 Scrubber Water recycle Fermentation 98% recovery

6. RO Permeate recycle Cooling tower and Gardening

45% recovery

Water Consumption / BL of Alcohol Before adopting Recycling Systems

12 Liter / BL

Targeted Water Consumption / BL of Alcohol

6 - 7 Liter / BL About 45% Reduction

Reduction in Water Consumption through Recycling (Molasses Spirit Plant)

S.no Stream recycled Year -2013-14 Year -2014-15 Year -2015-16 under

Implementation 1 Pre-rectifier & Rectification

column Lees Recycled to

fermentation house

2 Vacuum Pump water Recycled to fermentation house

3 Steam Condensate Recycled to boiler section

Recycled to boiler section

4 CO2 Scrubber Water Recycled to fermentation house

5 Process Condensate Recycle to cooling tower

6 RO Permeate Recycle to cooling tower

Water Consumption / BL of Alcohol 18.0 12.0 7.0

Compliance of CPCB Directives

• Volume Reduction through Integrated Evaporators ( 40-45%) and through R O Plants (60%). Over all volume reduction more than 75%.

• Covered Bio-composting under Poly Shed for Composting in rainy season.

• Usage of lesser polluted streams in Fermentation, Cooling Tower make up and Gardening.

Inclusion of Distillery in Orange Category

• In view of the compliance of Zero Spent Wash discharge, Distilleries should be placed in orange category in place of Red category.

• Discharge of Bottle Washing Water, DM Water back washing , boiler blow down etc. streams should be allowed to be discharged after proper treatment in order to minimize cost of achieving Zero Discharge for lesser polluted streams.

Measures Taken for Energy Conservation

• Replaced all the old un-efficient motors and pumps with the new highly efficient pump and motors.

• Adopted Dyano Drive Systems for Flexibility in loads.

• Overhead Cooling tower basins to provide positive suction head for pumps.

• Power Generation through highly efficient Bio-Gas Engines of MWM GERMANY .

Energy Conservation

• Installation of VAM Integrated Chilled Water System for air conditioning requirement from Bio-Gas Engines.

• Installation of Temperature Sensors at Cooling Tower Tans to save the power during winter season.

• Timer installation on Street and Plant Lights .• Replacement of copper chocks with electronic

chocks.

Plant Control Room

Bio – Gas Engine

Distillation With Integrated Evaporators

Bio Gas Digester

R O Plant Radico

R O Plant

Covered Bio-Composting

Challenges in Molasses Effluent Treatment

Bio Engine

Zero Discharge – TSS Reduction – Complete Process Flow