Westvlees is one of the leading European players in fresh and prepared pork production. The company, based in Belgium, is known for its relentless focus on quality, sustainability and innovation. In 2020, Westvlees took an important step in its sustainability strategy with the investment in a water recovery plant. This plant upgrades as much as 900,000 litres of wastewater to drinking water quality every day. This means that around 50% of the total water consumption within the production process is reused. This is not only economically interesting, but also ecologically very important, especially in times of increasing water scarcity.
A smart combination of UF and RO
The plant uses two advanced technologies in water treatment: ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO).
Ultrafiltration is a pressure-controlled membrane process in which particles and bacteria are filtered out of water. This provides excellent pre-treatment and protects the underlying RO membranes from fouling and wear.
Reverse osmosis goes one step further: under high pressure, most dissolved salts, organic substances, pesticides and micro-pollutants are removed from the water. The result is a very pure permeate that can be used in, for example, steam boilers.
Thanks to this combination, the wastewater is upgraded in several steps to high-quality process water, suitable for reuse in production.
Reliable technology and operation
For the design and realisation of this plant, Task and Aramis, two companies with a combined expertise of more than 45 years in water treatment and membrane technology, were chosen to work together. Together, they already have hundreds of successful installations to their name at home and abroad. The installation is fully automatically controllable and remotely monitorable, which allows for efficient and quick intervention if needed.
An additional advantage is that the entire operation is done in-house. By training and involving Westvlees’s own staff in the daily operation of the system, the knowledge remains within the company and the operating cost is kept low. Moreover, this increases the company’s flexibility and independence.
Sustainability as an asset
With this investment, Westvlees shows not only technological foresight, but also a clear commitment to sustainability and circular water use. In a sector where water consumption is inevitable, this approach offers an innovative response to today’s social and environmental challenges. The plant is an exemplary project within the food sector and is among Task-Aramis’ references.
