Industrial circular water use practices through the application of a conceptual water efficiency framework in the process industry
Efthalia Karkou, Chuan Jiet Teo, Nikolaos Savvakis, Johann Poinapen, George Arampatzis
Abstract
Increased industrial water demand and resource depletion require the incorporation of sustainable and efficient water and wastewater management solutions in the industrial sector. Conventional and advanced treatment technologies, closed-water loops at different levels from an industrial process to collaborative networks among industries within the same or another sector and digital tools and services facilitate the materialization of circular water use practices. To this end, the scope of this paper is the application of the Conceptual Water Efficiency Framework (CWEF), which has been developed within the AquaSPICE project aspiring to enhance water circularity within industries in a holistic way. Four water-intensive process industries (two chemical industries, one oil refinery plant and one meat production plant) are examined, revealing its adaptability, versatility and flexibility according to the requirements of each use case. It is evident that the synergy of process, circular and digital innovations can promote sustainability, contribute to water conservation in the industry, elaborating a compact approach to be replicated from other industries. • Water efficiency framework implemented in water-intensive process industries. • Fit-for-purpose treatment and closed-loop practices materialize water circularity. • Industrial synergies result in less waste, exchanging and exploiting by-products. • Wastewater treatment leads up to 90% of reused water and 99.9% pollutants removal. • Simulation, life cycle assessment, optimization, real-time monitoring and digital platform are key tools.