USG is a utility company responsible for the purchase, production, distribution, and sale of, among other things, flocculated canal water to the entire Chemelot industrial estate in Geleen. The source for this water is the Juliana Canal. Approximately 45,000,000 m³ (average 5,000 m³/hour) of surface water is extracted from this canal every year. In addition, an average of 600 m³/hour of surface water is extracted for rinsing sand filters.

Before the extracted surface water is supplied to the companies on the Chemelot site, it is cleaned in two parallel-connected flocculators. Cleaning takes place in a number of purification steps, during which the colloidal particles and suspended substances are removed from the canal water. After purification, the flocculated canal water is transported to the Chemelot location via pumps and transport pipes and further distributed across the site.

It is crucial for the companies at Chemelot that the flocculator has a very high degree of operational reliability. Complete or partial failure of the flocculator has major consequences: it can result in stagnation of the supply of demineralized water, cooling water and extinguishing water, possibly resulting in business installations at Chemelot having to be shut down.

The rinse water used in the flocculator is returned to the Juliana Canal after use, but then has an increased aluminium concentration due to the use of PAC (polyaluminium chloride). Logisticon was called in for a pilot because in the future no more aluminium will be allowed to be discharged into the Juliana Canal. A clear goal: removing the aluminium from the rinse water.

Logisticon supplied a lamella separator, Chemdose, various buffer tanks and a 20ft coagulation and flocculation container as a pilot. Part of the rinse water was collected in the mixing buffer of the pilot setup. Here a coagulant and a flocculant were dosed. The water was then further thickened using a lamellar separator and static settler. The thickened sludge will have to be transported to an external processor and the clean water from the lamella separator can be reused or discharged into the Juliana Canal.

After a year of testing with Logisticon's pilot, it has been shown that sufficient aluminium can be removed from the rinse water with the relevant technology. Thanks to the pilot, USG has obtained the necessary information to build a possible full-scale installation.

Esmee Drummen, Technical Product Engineer:

“Logisticon's test setup served for a year as the pilot for a future rinse water treatment plant. With the results achieved, we can say that the pilot was successful. During the test period, a lot of information about the process and water quality was collected and assessed. The collaboration between USG and Logisticon went smoothly and the discussions were open, honest and transparent. Expectations were regularly discussed and tested; flexibility was central to this. We consulted, analyzed and learned a lot together and with this method, every interim adjustment or optimization ultimately ensured that the pilot was a success for both parties.”