Orkla Foods’ Hamé Babice plant presents its own water recovery and recycling technology

The name of the company Orkla Foods might not tell you anything, but its food plant Hamé Babice already has a pretty well-known name, and the cult pate Májka produced by it has elevated it to one of the symbols of Czechness (at least in internet memes). The Norwegian company also includes the Vitana, Znojmia, Otma, Felix, Hamé brands and more.

But why are we mentioning these grocers on a tech site? Because during the week they presented their own water recovery and recycling technology. When sterilizing food, a significant amount of water is used, which must be heated. Previously, water and heat left the factory at the end of the process, the new system will largely recycle it.

Water

Previously, the plant in Babice in Moravia used 450 million liters of water per year, today thanks to the new system it saves 45% and when it goes into full operation in the summer, it will be up to 75%. That’s 300 million liters that won’t need to be drained, which will support groundwater sustainability in the area. Vojtěch Čambala, director of the Hamé Babice plant, compares such savings to the consumption of a city with about ten thousand inhabitants.

More than 99% of the water used in the Hamé Babice plant comes from ten own wells in the vicinity. It is one of the warmest areas in the Czech Republic with significant degradation of underground water resources. Orkla wants to protect these and at the same time prepare for a future when there may be a long-term shortage of groundwater.

After sterilizing the products, the hot water is collected in tanks, treated and reused. It passes through a closed loop, which greatly reduces the need to pump new water.

“Technology is very complex. We draw water from ten underground wells and each of them has a unique composition. Therefore, the water must be adjusted so that it always has the same composition. And since we are in the food industry, of course we have to follow strict hygiene regulations. For example, we cannot simply take water after sterilization and reuse it. It must always be cleaned and adjusted again.” explains project manager Tomáš Proksa, adding that thanks to the new technology, the amount of chemicals used and maintenance costs have also been reduced by 75%.

Energy and economy

Heat recovery saves around 5,000 MWh of energy every year. The unburned gas used for heating can be converted to 1,000 tons of CO₂. The roof of the building in which the project is located carries photovoltaic panels, and the company claims that thanks to them, the operation of the entire technology is energy neutral.

In addition to the majority of water savings, the new technology also uses the remaining energy from hot water for preheating for other processes.

The investment of 80 million crowns will bring significant savings, and the company promises a return of only a few years. The first phase showed that the technology works great, so the rest of the production will join by the summer. The goal is to find a solution to save another 20% of the water used and also how to use the heat from production for air conditioning and heating in the plant premises.

On April 20 of this year, the project received the Sustainability Star 2023 award.