Press Releases

2014

June 25, 2014

Kurita's Carrier-Type Anaerobic Water Treatment System Receives Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award at 40th Excellent Environmental Equipment Awards

Kurita Water Industries Ltd. (Head Office: Nakano-ku, Tokyo; President: Toshiyuki Nakai) is pleased to announce it has received the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award at the 40th Excellent Environmental Equipment Awards hosted by the Japan Society of Industrial Machinery Manufacturers (JSIM).

The equipment receiving the award is Kurita's carrier-type anaerobic water treatment system, which purifies wastewater by using carriers with anaerobic microorganisms attached. Use of resin carriers developed by Kurita enables the system to be applied for treating low-concentration organic wastewater and wastewater with a single composition, which would be difficult to treat with conventional anaerobic biological treatment systems. The system can thus reduce environmental impact in an even wider range of fields. It was awarded due to its high score for the technologies it incorporates and the record of performance of its applications at worksites in the industry.

Kurita is a leader in Japan in biological treatment technologies for treating wastewater. The Company has also delivered a large number of anaerobic treatment systems for treatment of high-concentration organic wastewater from food factories, beer breweries, and other sites. However, with rapidly growing need for energy conservation and waste reduction, demand for anaerobic treatment systems was growing in fields where such treatment had been difficult to apply, such as treatment of low-concentration organic wastewater and chemical wastewater consisting of a single composition. In response, Kurita commercialized the system in 2011. Its advantages over aerobic treatment systems include approximately 50% lower power consumption and about 75% lower waste generation. Other benefits include its space-saving construction.

Since its release, the system has been implemented in a wide array of arenas such as the food, beverage, LCD, and chemical industries. It is also used by customers overseas. Moreover, Kurita has been promoting measures for effectively utilizing the biogas generated in the treatment process, or as fuel for power generation by customers. The system thus helps customers create energy.

The Excellent Environmental Equipment Awards, hosted by JSIM, are aimed at promoting research and development of environmental protection technologies and popularization of outstanding environmental equipment. They are awarded for devices and systems in stable operation for at least six months. On June 24, JSIM held a ceremony for granting the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award, Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau Director-General’s Award, Small and Medium Enterprise Agency Director-General's Award, and JSIM Chairman's Award.

With the award serving as momentum, Kurita will further promote measures for solving customers' problems concerning water and the environment by capitalizing on its anaerobic treatment technologies that can be applied for a wide range of wastewater treatment needs.

Attachment: About the Anaerobic Water Treatment System

About the Anaerobic Water Treatment System

In this system, the reaction tank is filled with flowable carriers for anaerobic treatment and anaerobic microorganisms are attached to the carrier surfaces. This permits high-load, stable treatment of wastewater with low concentrations of organic matter or wastewater consisting of a single composition and highly efficient elimination of organic matter.

The system can also be used in diverse conditions (concentrations, components, and temperatures) and is highly resistant to load fluctuations. As well as organic wastewater from food factories, where Kurita systems have a proven track record, the system can be used for wastewater with a broad range of properties, including organic wastewater from chemical plants, paper mills, and liquid crystal and semiconductor factories.

Moreover, the system provides advantages over aerobic treatment, including lower power consumption (with half the power costs), reduced waste generation (surplus sludge is reduced to less than a quarter), smaller size (its smaller reaction tank is one-third to one-fifth the size of those used for aerobic treatment), and reusability of the methane gas generated in the treatment process*.

Features of Carrier for Anaerobic Treatment

The new carrier is made of resin and comes in a structure with a layer of microorganisms formed on the surface. The carriers move slowly in the tank as they treat wastewater, and their structure prevents microorganism dissolution and leakage.

The carrier has the following features:

  • (1)The irregular surface holds a large amount of microorganisms.
  • (2)It is heavier than water so its sinking velocity is high.
  • (3)The structure permits biogas to be released easily.
  1. *Aerobic and anaerobic treatment
    Microorganisms are commonly used for treating organic matter contained in wastewater. There are two types of treatment methods. One is aerobic treatment, which has microorganisms decompose organic matter in the presence of oxygen. The other is anaerobic treatment, which decomposes organic matter with no oxygen.