This project was carried out in relation to Carlsberg’s ambitious “Together Towards Zero” program. The contributions from ULTRAAQUA were made through participation in the DRIP partnership (Danish Partnership for Resource and Water-Efficient Industrial Food Production), which has the goal of assisting in optimizing water consumption across food production processes by developing and implementing advanced technologies and solutions.
The collaboration closely involved the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency, and the Danish Agency for Water and Nature Management to provide regulatory guidelines and ensure that they are met. Innovation Fund Denmark was a critical part in terms of providing the necessary funding for the initiative.
With the new, advanced water treatment plant, Carlsberg is set to reuse 90% of its process water and save 10% more energy. Doing so will make it possible to reduce the total water consumption drastically, bringing the beer-to-water ratio from 2.9 hl/water per hl/beer to 1.4 hl/water per hl/beer.
The new initiative has made the brewery the first in the world to nearly eliminate water waste and has placed Carlsberg above its 2030 sustainability targets.
From left to right: ULTRAAQUA UV Head of Innovation and Research – Morten Møller Klausen, Director of Carlsberg Denmark – Peter Haahr Nielsen, Utility Manager Carlsberg – Lars C. Christensen, ULTRAAQUA UV Director – Ole Grønborg, and Professor at DTU Environment – Hans-Jørgen Albrechtsen
UV-based advanced oxidation technologies are frequently utilized as the final polishing step in applications like these to provide both disinfection and drastically reduce trace organic compounds to very level levels, effectively ensuring high-purity water. To achieve this, a tailored treatment process is required with in-depth water analysis before the implementation.
A range of specific compounds was identified as having the highest risk of passing both the biological and RO treatment of the treatment concept for the reclamation of reusable water from the process wastewater at Carlsberg. This was based on the information gained from the chemical risk assessment and literature review.
The prior research led to developing a Vacuum-UV-based combined oxidation and disinfection reactor that, based on detailed degradation process modeling would be able to polish the RO permeate for the identified compounds and EfOM (Effluent Organic Matter).
The project features a complete solution that goes significantly beyond best practice by returning reclaimed wastewater to the production lines, available for use to clean tank and pipe surfaces, bottle washing etc.
High-intensity UV AOP system for energy-efficient contaminant oxidation.
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Advanced technology for TOC reduction, optimized for high-purity applications.
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“We would like to thank fellow members of DRIP partnership, the Innovation Fund Denmark, the Carlsberg Group, and Søren Nøhr Bak, Expertise Director at Niras for thinking ahead of their time.”
Ole Grønborg - CEO, M.Sc, ULTRAAQUA
ULTRAAQUA is an international manufacturer of UV & Ozone water treatment systems for a wide range of water treatment applications.
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