The Effluent Treatment Plant of Citrusvil aims to establish a clean production circuit that contributes to the sustainability of its activities and the production of biogas from the effluents generated in its industrial processes. The company, in its biogas generation process, avoids the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and generates an environmental benefit for the protection of the environment. “In 2018, the company replaced 19.7% of the total gas required by its industries with biogas, with an upward trend for the future,” explains Lic. Germán Roig Babot, head of the effluent treatment plant.
In this regard, the effluent generated by industrial plants requires responsible treatment in order to make all industrial activities sustainable. The company implemented its Zero Effluent Program more than a decade ago. Through this program, it ferti-irrigates with its treated effluents more than 600 hectares that include its San Juan, Cevil Pozo, and El Corte farms. In this way, Citrusvil avoids the discharge of its liquid waste into watercourses and achieves sustainable growth for its industry.
Sustainable CL chart
Description of the production process
Citrusvil processes 350,000
tons of lemon per campaign processing, as main products, oil
lemon essentials, concentrated juice and dried peel. For the
approximately 4 m3 of water are used for each
tonne of processed fruit, generating about 10,000 m3 of
liquid effluent per day.
Citrusvil is the first citrus industry in
the world to develop a united-class approved liquid effluent treatment system (CDM).
The
effluent treatment system allows to recover biogas sufficient to recover
approximately 20 of the consumption of plant boilers
industrial, destination currently given to fuel. For a benefit
additional emission of methane into the atmosphere is avoided, the greenhouse effect of which
higher than CO2. The industrial plant has zero liquid effluents on
water, once treated, is used for irrigation of plantations
lemons, complying with the regulations for this purpose.
Biogas production process bar chart
Citrusvil agrega valor a través de energías renovables
As a result of the
implementation of Law 27.191 and the national program called Renew, which promotes the generation of
electricity from renewable sources, Citrusvil
project to transform the biogas it generates into electric energy. Since the
2017, Citrusvil works on a project that will allow to deliver to the electrical system a power of 3MW.
In this way it is born
the citrusvil energy project for the
renewable electricity commercialization. “The goal is that the plant
power is running by April 2019,” says plant manager
Citrusvil Effluent Treatment. The Renew plan, on which it is based
the project, guarantees the sale of the energy generated through a contract
signed with CAMMESA (Electric Wholesale Market Management Company)
for a period of 20 years. “This
contract guarantees us the dispatch of the energy generated and a flow of funds
low-risk,” explains the Ing. Luciano Uda, head of energy at the business group,
and makes it clear that this project opens up a new business unit
for the group.
The team
mainly consists of two sectors working together:
Citrusvil’s effluent treatment sector with the energy sector
Lucci Group. “Both find this common ground to take advantage of biogas and
the benefits of renewable energy,” says Luciano Uda.
Undoubtedly, with the
Citrusvil renewable energy generation will have a big impact and generate
value to your effluent treatment plant. From this project,
this plant will no longer be a service unit to become a unit
Productive. “It’s a very
Challenging. Everyone who works at the Effluent Treatment Plant
we’re proud of what we do because it’s the only plant of its kind that
works at 100. In addition, the environmental and economic contribution that we are
doing,” concludes Germán Roig Babot.