November 27, 2012
FDT Consulting Engineers & Project Managers (FDT) and Koch Membrane Systems (KMS) were recently presented with a Green Apple award at the Palace of Westminster, London. FDT won the Gold Award and nominated Koch Membrane Systems as deserving much of the credit for the achievement. The Green Apple Environment Awards is an international campaign to find the greenest companies, councils and communities. They competed against more than 500 other nominations and were presented with their Green Apple Award at a presentation ceremony in the House of Commons, London on November 14th 2012.
The award was for FDT’s “Recovery & Reuse of Water and Carbon Dioxide from Industrial Waste Streams” project, part-funded by the Cleaner Greener Production Programme of EPA, Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency. Six facilities from the brewing, dairy ingredients, liquid milk, snack foods and pharmaceutical industries were examined and the potential for recovery and reuse of water and carbon dioxide was assessed. The results were then extrapolated across similar facilities in each industry to quantify the potential for recovering water and carbon dioxide in Irish industry as a whole. From the facilities examined, four opportunities for water recovery and reuse using membrane filtration were identified as being financially viable.
FDT used a KMS Laboratory Cell CF-1 membrane test unit to conduct the program of membrane pilot trials. Using KMS UF, NF and RO membranes a series of industrial waste streams samples were processed through the unit. The KMS Laboratory Cell CF-1 membrane test unit allows selecting the most promising membrane by simulating process conditions. It is a very simple and effective tool for carrying out process evaluation for ultimate proof of concept determination by using microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis flat sheet test pads. The integral assembly is ready for operation on a laboratory bench or fume hood environment.
During the membrane pilots KMS assisted FDT with the initial setup of the unit and provided recommendations for membrane operation, cleaning and trial data interpretation. Previously KMS and FDT have worked closely together on several recovery and reuse applications, one such project at Diageo Dundalk Brewery Ireland resulted in the supply of a nanofiltration membrane system by KMS for the recovery of spent CIP liquors. Following installation the system gave a payback after only 20 months operation.
“We are grateful to the EPA for their funding” said Michael Clancy, Project Manager with FDT. “We also like to thank client companies Dairygold, Diageo Dundalk & Kilkenny, Glanbia, Largo Foods and Rottapharm for their participation in the project”, he concluded.
FDT will have their winning project published in The Green Book, the leading international work of reference on environmental best practice, so that others around the world can follow their example and learn from their experience. They will also be considered to represent their country in the European Business Awards for the Environment.
The Green Apple Awards began in 1994 and are organized by The Green Organization, an independent, non-political, non-activist, non-profit environment group dedicated to recognizing and promoting environmental best practice. Judges for the Green Apple Awards are drawn from the UK Environment Agency, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, the Chartered Institution for Wastes Management and other independent bodies. More information can be found on www.thegreenorganisation.info.
About FDT Consulting Engineers & Project Managers
FDT is a 100% Irish-owned, independent process engineering consultancy, based in Dublin, serving clients in Ireland, the UK, Europe and Africa. Formed in 1991, the company has a highly skilled team of engineering consultants with professional qualifications and strong technical experience that provide in-depth knowledge of process, utilities & packaging plant. FDT serve a range of sectors, such as Brewing, Food and Dairy, Pharmaceutical, Healthcare and Chemical industries, with a variety of process engineering solutions and consulting services. FDT provide a range of Sustainability and Resource Efficiency services which help to reduce client’s operating costs and meet their compliance obligations. For more information please visit www.fdt.ie or email Michael.clancy@fdt.ie
About Koch Membrane Systems
For more than four decades, Koch Membrane Systems, Inc. (KMS) has led the way in developing innovative membrane technologies that serve a diverse range of industries and applications around the globe. KMS provides solutions to markets including industrial and municipal water and wastewater, food and life sciences and industrial processes, helping thousands of customers reduce their water footprint, increase productivity, and reduce costs. With an installed base approaching 20,000 systems throughout the world, KMS is setting the standard as a comprehensive membrane solutions provider.
For more information on Koch Membrane Systems and its full line of membranes and accessory products, visit www.kochmembrane.com, or write to us at infoeurope@kochmembrane.com.