Flemish Minister of Environment and Energy Zuhal Demir today officially opened the new, state-of-the-art demin water plant of chemical company Vynova in Tessenderlo. Demin water is essential for production processes that require water of the highest quality. The new plant, an investment of 8 million euros, will no longer consume groundwater.
Vynova produces various essential basic chemicals in Tessenderlo that are used in the construction, medical, food and water treatment industries, among others. Here, demineralized water or demin water is a crucial raw material for various production processes. For example, Vynova uses the ultra-pure process water in its electrolysis process and for steam production.
The new demineralized water plant replaces the current plant, which had become too small after several expansions at the site, and is an important step forward in sustainable water management. For example, the new plant no longer consumes groundwater to produce demin water, representing annual savings equivalent to the tap water consumption of more than 1,000 households. In addition, fewer chemicals are needed in the purification to demin water, reducing the site’s waste streams and improving wastewater quality. The new plant has a production capacity of 2.1 million cubic meters of demin water per year, representing a 50% expansion. The project was implemented with the support of the Flemish government through VLAIO’s ecology premium+ for environmentally friendly investments.
To design and build the new demin water plant, Vynova partnered with Ekopak, a young and fast-growing Belgian player in the field of industrial water treatment.
Tim De Maet, COO Ekopak: “We are delighted to attend the official opening of the new production plant. For Ekopak, this is one of the largest projects and the most performing installation so far realized in Belgium. This project has also played an important role in our growth as a young company. Through this installation based on membrane technology, we can reduce Vynova’s ecological footprint and contribute to the realization of the company’s sustainability goals.”
250 million since 2016
Vynova CEO Christophe André said, “This state-of-the-art production unit based on advanced membrane technology is another sign of our commitment to making our facilities and processes increasingly sustainable and efficient, and demonstrates our ambition to continue playing a leading role as a European chemical producer. For example, we have already invested more than 250 million euros in innovative technology at our Tessenderlo site since 2016.”
Flemish Minister of Environment Zuhal Demir: “Flanders today is struggling with structural drought and water scarcity. With the Blue Deal we are arming ourselves against these consequences of climate change. Not only are we restoring thousands of hectares of wet nature to capture more water, but we are also purifying billions of liters of water for reuse in business and industry. Vynova is already setting a good example by purifying and optimally using their company water. Initiatives like this are more than welcome and relieve pressure on our scarce water resources.”
Crucial raw material
Ann Wurman, director essenscia vlaanderen, sector federation of chemistry and life sciences: “In the chemical sector, water is crucial in production processes, as a raw material but also as cooling water. This is why companies use it sparingly. In the past ten years, the use of groundwater and drinking water in the sector has dropped by more than 20%, to barely 7% of total water consumption. This investment by Vynova fits into that sustainability strategy of using less water and reusing as much water as possible.”
For more information about Vynova : www.vynova-group.com.
