On 16 September, Opure and AquaMinerals realised the first delivery of struvite from wastewater treatment plants. The struvite is to be used as a raw material for macronutrients in industrial wastewater treatment processes. This is the first step in a multi-annual partnership.
A shortfall of nutrients and/or trace elements can occur in heavily loaded industrial wastewater, because it often contains relatively high levels of carbon and relatively few nutrients. If these elements are not added to the wastewater, the performance of the treatment processes will not be optimal and the water will not be adequately treated. Opure develops and supplies customised mixtures of nutrients and trace elements to industry, and particularly for industrial water treatment processes. In doing so, the company focuses on the use of recovered raw materials in its products.
AquaMinerals looks after the disposal of struvite from the Dutch Water Authorities, and also for the Energy and Resources Factory, a collaboration of all the Water Authorities that is dedicated to energy and resource recovery. Struvite is the mineral magnesium ammonium phosphate, which, thanks to its high magnesium and, in particular, phosphorus content, is suitable as a nutrient in agriculture, where it is already being used. There is moreover a need for these nutrients in other markets, besides agriculture.
By making use of struvite – recovered phosphorus and magnesium – fewer primary raw materials need to be used as macronutrients in industrial water treatment. Arnaud Duine, Director of Opure, is happy with the partnership: ‘We recently started at a new site. It is important that we use recovered nutrients, such as phosphorus and magnesium, in our product.’ Olaf van der Kolk, Managing Director of AquaMinerals, agrees and adds: ‘For the Water Authorities it is important to create a struvite portfolio that includes several applications in multiple markets. The partnership with Opure is part and parcel of this strategy.’ The Vallei and Veluwe Water Authority provides the struvite which is produced from the wastewater at the treatment plant in Apeldoorn. The Water Authority played an important role in initiating the partnership with Opure. Frank Peters, account manager at the Vallei and Veluwe Water Authority, sees the partnership with AquaMinerals as complementary: ‘We are helped out by a specialist, which means we can usefully apply the struvite in multiple markets.’
Photo: Struvite
For more information:
Ronny Theune: theune@aquaminerals.com
Arnaud Duine: info@opure.nl