The Food and Beverage Industry is the second largest production sector in the EU, where more than 95% of the companies in this sector are small and medium-sized enterprises – SMEs. This industry is still a major source of organic biodegradable pollution in European rivers, although this extreme pollution of wastewater needs to be addressed. Moreover, SMEs in this industry use electricity and heat intensively (up to 200 kWh / tonne and 3 GJ / tonne, respectively for medium-sized SMEs), thus saving energy is an acute necessity to reduce production costs and to offset the expected increase in the price of agricultural raw materials and energy.

The European Union is investing in the development of innovative techniques and research to improve the real lack of environmental competitiveness, through the PHASEPLIT project (Two-phase acid/anaerobic gas reactor for waste water of SMEs in the Food and Beverage industry), number 602007 within the Program Framework 7, Research Competition for the Benefit of SMEs.

This project is integrated by five European SMEs: Agua, Energía y Medio Ambiente, Servicios Integrales SL (SPAIN), Industrial Moreypi SA (SPAIN), the Systems Engineering Company SIS SA (ROMANIA), Prodeval SAS (FRANCE) and SARL Distillerie BEL (FRANCE). The project also involves two renowned research institutes, which are responsible for innovation: Tecnologías Avanzadas Inspiralia SL (SPAIN) and Instituto de Experimental and Technological Biology (PORTUGAL). Finally, the two partners – end users close the innovation cycle: SUMOL + COMPAL Marcas SA (PORTUGAL) and SARL Distillerie BEL (FRANCE).  

The PHASEPLIT project aims to develop a decentralized reactor for wastewater treatment, customized for installation in SMEs in the Food and Beverage industry. PhasepliT is based on the optimization of the anaerobic process in two phases (acidogen/methanogen) which will be applied for the first time for the treatment of industrial wastewater. This technology will enable SMEs to comply with the EU’s restrictive regulations in place and to reduce organic water pollution. SMEs will be able to afford PhasepliT solutions due to a 50% reduction in investment costs and 30% of operating costs, due to the development of a new two-phase optimized configuration and the production of biogas, which can be used in electricity and heat. . The biogas production will cover the own energy consumption of the plants and will generate an surplus of electricity and heat from renewable sources for SMEs to offset future price increases for these utilities.