Paper and pulp industry wastewater treatment

Water is pivotal to every stage of paper production, playing a crucial role in transforming raw materials into the final product. From pulping to paper formation and finishing, water is essential for processing fibers, controlling consistency, and facilitating various chemical treatments.

However, the extensive use of water poses significant challenges, particularly regarding environmental sustainability and resource management. Either using a closed-loop or an open-loop strategy, paper production requires substantial volumes of water, often straining local water supplies and contributing to environmental concerns such as discharge of paper mill wastewater.

Balancing the necessity of water in production with sustainable practices is imperative to mitigate these challenges and ensure responsible water use in the paper industry. Efficient technologies for paper and pulp industry wastewater treatment and recycling is essential for achieving this balance and minimizing the industry's environmental footprint.

Paper and pulp wastewater treatment presents several challenges primarily due to the complex nature of effluents generated during paper production processes. These effluents often contain high concentrations of organic compounds such as lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose, which can be difficult to degrade using conventional treatment methods.

Additionally, the presence of various chemicals used in paper processing, such as bleaching agents and dyes, adds to the complexity and toxicity of the paper mill wastewater.

Furthermore, stringent environmental regulations demand continuous innovation and investment in wastewater treatment infrastructure to minimize environmental impact and ensure compliance with discharge standards.

Paques Technology has a long history in the Pulp & Paper industry and thus has been closely involved in solving these challenges.

We have been pioneers in the development of anaerobic solutions that transform organic pollutants from paper production into valuable biogas and clean water, such as BIOPAQ^® UASB, BIOPAQ^® IC, BIOPAQ^® ICX and BIOPAQ^® RISE.

We are also able to remove the H₂S from the biogas generated by our anaerobic technologies using the THIOPAQ^® system.

Paques has also supplied a great number of complete turnkey wastewater treatment plants for paper producers worldwide, combining our technologies with pre-treatment and reuse technologies.