Enhancing Efficiency: SAPPI Alfeld GmbH Upgrades Wastewater Treatment with Advanced Flotation Cells

As a direct discharger into the Leine, SAPPI Alfeld GmbH has for decades internally run a complete water treatment with a three-lane biological stage.
Since the increasingly rising demands made of the secondary clarification process—implemented with two flotation cells and four Algas filters—mean that it will soon reach the limits of its capacity, a project was first initiated in early 2023 to enable the company to make future expansions while simultaneously guaranteeing that wastewater limits are met. A review revealed that the company can continue to use its current flotations but must replace the Algas filter with new flotations. The flotation cells are many times more powerful and thus more operationally efficient.

Goals

A significant focus lay on increasing and securing throughput capacity. This had to be realised via the creation of redundancies within the respective structure. In addition, a reduction of both the materials to be filtered and the COD aimed at relieving the subsequent sand-filtration step and facilitating future water recycling. Alongside these goals, the project aims to use a new kind of chemical dosage system controlled by online sensors to reduce the use of the chemicals needed. This is where the freight-dependent chemical dose control DIGIT-DOSE comes in.

Dr.-Ing. T. Handke, Manager Pulp & Utilities, Sappi Alfeld Thomas Pohlers, Sales Engineer, Industry Sales Manager

As a wastewater discharger, one of our unnegotiable goals is to not exceed the threshold limits of wastewater. As these wastewater limits are further restricted, we also wish for more possibilities of implementation.

- Reducing rinsing water usage
- Improving drainage quality, especially AFS + CSB
- Freight-dependent chemical dose control DIGIT-DOSE
- Increased operational security
- Potential water recycling


Sum invested

€ 5 million

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