CHALENGES IN ZERO

DISCHARGE OF
MOLASSES EFFLUENT
(A Case History of Radico Khaitan Ltd)

By K .P. SINGH

DISTILLERIES

The distillery of Radico Khaitan

Ltd at Rampur was established in
1943 .

At present the daily production

capacity of distillery is 300 KLPD .

Radico
has Molasses Spirit ,
Grain
Spirit
&
Malt
Spirit
Production.

Initiatives taken by Radico to

achieve Zero Effluent Discharge

VOLUME REDUCTION BY HIGH

BRIX FERMENTATION
We have
batch
fermentation in our
Molasses Fermentation.
Fermenters are MS epoxy coated and
covered at the top for CO2 recovery.
Molasses Quality in the State of U.P. does
not suit to Continuous Fermentation.
With High Brix Fermentation we are able to
maintain 9.5 10% Alcohol in wash in a
molasses having only 42- 43 % TRS.

REDUCTION IN VOLUME THROUGH

IMPROVED FERMENTATION
EFFICIENCY
Fermentation efficiency is maintained between
91.5 - 92 % with better microbiology in yeast
propagation and fermentation.
Fresh yeast is used for every Fermenter .
Cell
concentration
in
pre-fermenters
is
maintained at 4 X108 .
With the recycling of lees and condensate water
as dilution water, fresh water consumption in
fermentation is reduced by about 80% and
water born contamination is almost Zero.

IMPROVEMENTS IN
FERMENTATION
Cooling of Wort through Heat Exchangers.
Cleaning of Fermenters through Spray
balls water jet.
Temp. indicators on each Fermenter.
Use of cleaning agents for maintaining
aseptic conditions after washing of
Fermenters through CIP system.
Adequate nutrient dosing for facilitating
quick fermentation.

Radico Khaitan
Limited
(Rampur Plant)

DESIGN BASIS
(DISTILLATION WITH INTEGRATED RAW SPENT WASH EVAPORATION)

S.
NO.
1.

DESCRIPTION

DISTILLATION PLANT
WITH INTEGRATED EVAPORATORS

7.

ALCOHOL % IN MOLASSES BASED

FERMENTED WASH
Sp. WASH FEED TO EVAPORATOR
SOLID CONCENTRATION
IN THE FEED
SP. WASH INLET TEMPERATURE
FINAL SOLID CONCENTRATION AFTER
EVAPORATION
EVAPORATION DUTY

8.

PLANT OPERATION

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

QUANTITY

180 KLPD

9.5 -10% V/V

1690 TPD
12% W/W (MIN)
82 DEG. C
22% W/W
760 TPD
OPERATION: 24 HRS

DISTILLATION PLANT WITH INTEGRATED EVAPORATORS

EFFLUENT MANAGEMENT
(REDUCE, RECYCLE & REUSE
EFFLUENT)

REDUCED GENERATION THROUGH MEE and RO .

RECYCLING LEES , PROCESS CONDENSATE AND PERMEATE.
TREATMENT
OF RECYCLING
STREAMS
BASED ON ITS
CHARACTERISTICS.
IMPROVED
EFFICIENCY OF RO
PLANT BY IMPROVED
TSS
REDUCTION
SYSTEM
THROUGH
SERIES
OF SETTLERS ,
LAMELLA CLARIFIER
AND DIFFUSED AERATION FLOATING
MECHANISM WITH THE HELP OF SPECIAL POLYELECTROLYTES.
UPGRADATION TO ACHIEVE UP TO 60% PERMEATE FROM RO.
PROJECT UNDER IMPLEMENTATION (PARTLY DELAYED IN ORDER TO
FIND A TECHNO-COMMERCIALLY FEASIBLE SOLUTION BY ROCHEM)

REDUCTION OF SPENT WASH

INTEGRATED RAW SPENT WASH
EVAPORATION - RKL,RAMPUR (U.P.)

REDUCTION OF SPENT WASH

INTEGRATED RAW SPENT WASH
EVAPORATION -RKL, RAMPUR
(U.P.)
S.N
O.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

GURANTEED PARAMETERS
FEED TO THE EVAPORATOR
INITIAL SOLIDS CONCENTRATION
STEAM CONSUMPTION
FINAL SOLIDS CONCENTRATION
WATER EVAPORATION DUTY
TOTAL PROCESS CONDENSATE
GENERATED FROM EVAPORATION
PLANT
POWER CONSUMPTION

TPD
%W/W
MT/KL
%W/W
TPD

VALUE
S
1690
12
3.4
22
760

TPD

760

KWH

180

UNIT

HIGHLIGHTS OF INTEGRATED
RAW SPENT WASH
EVAPORATION
THERE ARE TWO OPTIONS OF EVAPORATION :
1. EVAPORATION OF SPENT WASH THROUGH INTEGRATED / STAND
ALONE EVAPORATORS.
2.

EVAPORATION OF BIO - METHANATED SPENT WASH THROUGH

INTEGRATED / STAND-ALONE EVAPORATORS.
RADICO HAS
SPENT WASH

ADOPTED

INTEGRATED EVAPORATORS OF

.NO EXTRA STEAM IS REQUIRED, EVAPORATION IS CARRIED USING

ALCOHOL
VAPOURS.
.COMPACT PROCESS & SMOOTH OPERATIONS IN HANDLING &
CONCENTRATING
SPENT WASH. STRUCTURAL COST IS REDUCED AS THE STRUCTURE
FOR
EVAPORTION PLANT IS MERGED WITH THAT OF THE DISTILLATION

PROCESS PUMP SEALING WATER

REUSE SYSTEM

Process Pumps
From All Sections
Make up
Tank

Total Water Savings = 95 %

VACUUM PUMP / AIR BLOWER SEALING

WATER REUSE SYSTEM

Make up
CWR

Vacuum Pump
/
Air Blower

Cooler

Tank
CWS

Total Water Savings = 95 %

HIGHLIGHTS OF ADOPTING WATER

RECYCLE, REUSE & TREATMENT SYSTEMS
WATER RECOVERY AND ITS CONFIRM USAGE.
REDUCTION IN LAND REQUIREMENT FOR BIOCOMPOSTING OPERATIONS AND PRESS MUD
REQUIREMENT AS A RESULT OF EFFLUENT
REDUCTION.
REDUCTION IN WATER CONSUMPTION DUE TO
HIGHER RECYCLE OF TREATED PROCESS
CONDENSATE.

OVERHEAD COOLING
TOWER FOR ENERGY
SAVING

ACHIEVEMENTS OF ADOPTING RSW

EVAP TECHNOLOGY AT RKL,RAMPUR
SR.N
O.

DESCRIPTION

SAVINGS ON ACCOUNT OF O/P COST FOR

BIOCOMPOSTING WITH REDUCED QTY

SAVINGS OF PROCESS WATER ON ACCOUNT OF

UNTREATED PROCESS CONDENSATE RECYCLE TO
FERMENTATION

SAVINGS OF PROCESS WATER ON ACCOUNT OF

RECYCLE & REUSE OF PUMP SEALING WATER,AIR
BLOWER WATER.

USE OF RO PERMEATE IN FERMENTATION AND

COOLING TOWER.

MOLASSES SPENT WASH

MANAGEMENT ZERO SPENT
WASH DISCHARGE
Sp. Wash from
Multi effect
Distillation ,
Evaporators 401690 M3 / day
45%
with 12%
Reduction in
Solids
volume
Condensate
760 M3/d
Recycled to
Process
(fermentation &
cooling Tower

Permeate

Conc, SP. Wash

930 M3/d,
BOD-90,000,
COD1,90,000
Mg/L 22%
solids

Anaerobic
Digesters
BOD REDN-88%
COD REDN67%

930 M3/d
COD63,000 Mg/L

880 M3/d Series of Settlers

,DAF & Filter
528 M3/d
Press for TSS
Reduction
50 M3/d
Reject 352
Sludge
M3/d
BIO COMPOSTING
R.O.
Plant
60%
REDN

Challenges
/
Initiatives
1. High TSS in
Digester
Outlet .
2. Low Efficiency of RO
System due to High
TSS in Digester
Outlet effluent.
3. Permeate recovery
only about 45%.

New

1. Installation of Degasser
and Series of Clarifiers
with Filter press.
2. Addition of Special Polyelectrolyte for better
settling and Series of
Lamella Clarifiers
Followed by DAF System.
3. Achieving Up to 60%
high grade permeate
recovery after adopting
above systems.

Challenges / New Initiatives

NO BioComposting in
Rainy Season

Molasses
Distilleries
face
problem in
BioComposting
in Rainy
season.

Covered Bio-Composting

Radico has covered composting

area of about 6 acres since
two years and practicing
uninterrupted composting in
rainy season in covered area.
We have increased the
covered area by another 8
acres this year. Now we have
14 acres of covered Biocomposting.

Reduction in Water Consumption

through Recycling (Molasses Spirit
Plant )
Stream Recycle

TO

1.

Rectification, Pre-rectifier
column Lees Recycle

Fermentation

90% recovery

2.

Vacuum Pump water

recycle

Fermentation

90% recovery

3.

Steam Condensate
Recycle

Boiler

90% recovery

4.

Process Condensate
recycle

Fermentation

95% recovery

5.

CO2 Scrubber Water

recycle

Fermentation

98% recovery

6.

RO Permeate recycle

Cooling tower
and Gardening

45% recovery

Water Consumption / BL of 12 Liter / BL

Alcohol Before adopting
Recycling Systems

Reduction in Water Consumption through

Recycling (Molasses Spirit Plant)
S.n Stream recycled
o
1
2

Pre-rectifier &
Rectification column
Lees
Vacuum Pump water

Steam Condensate

CO2 Scrubber Water

Process Condensate

RO Permeate

Water
Consumption / BL

Year -2013-14 Year -2014-15 Year -2015-16

under
Implementati
on
Recycled to
fermentation
house
Recycled to
fermentation
house
Recycled to
Recycled to
boiler section boiler section
Recycled to
fermentation
house
Recycle to
cooling tower
Recycle to
cooling tower

18.0

12.0

7.0

Compliance of CPCB
Directives
Volume Reduction through Integrated
Evaporators ( 40-45%) and through R
O Plants (60%). Over all volume
reduction more than 75%.
Covered Bio-composting under Poly
Shed for Composting in rainy season.
Usage of lesser polluted streams in
Fermentation, Cooling Tower make up
and Gardening.

Inclusion of Distillery in Orange

Category
In view of the compliance of Zero Spent
Wash discharge, Distilleries should be
placed in orange category in place of Red
category.
Discharge of Bottle Washing Water, DM
Water back washing , boiler blow down
etc. streams should be allowed to be
discharged after proper treatment in order
to minimize cost of
achieving Zero
Discharge for lesser polluted streams.

Measures Taken for

Energy Conservation
Replaced all the old un-efficient motors
and pumps with the new highly efficient
pump and motors.
Adopted Dyano Drive Systems for
Flexibility in loads.
Overhead Cooling tower basins to provide
positive suction head for pumps.
Power Generation through highly efficient
Bio-Gas Engines of MWM GERMANY .

Energy Conservation
Installation of VAM Integrated Chilled
Water System for air conditioning
requirement from Bio-Gas Engines.
Installation of Temperature Sensors at
Cooling Tower Tans to save the power
during winter season.
Timer installation on Street and Plant
Lights .
Replacement of copper chocks with
electronic chocks.

Plant Control Room

Bio Gas Engine

Distillation With Integrated Evaporators

Bio Gas Digester

R O Plant Radico

R O Plant

Covered Bio-Composting

Challenges in Molasses Effluent

Treatment

Bio Engine

Zero Discharge TSS Reduction Complete Process Flow

THANK YOU