Eco Clarity – Circular Economy

 

Eco Clarity has developed a revolutionary technology for the recovery of Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) generated by Food Service Establishments (FSE’s). Eco Clarity’s FOG Consolidation Hubs provide accessible disposal locations for haulers to sustainably dispose of FOG containing wastewater before it enters the sewer network or waste water treatment works, where it can be a major cause of blockages, spills and reactive and costly clean-up operations.

Eco Clarity is able to consolidate the FOG present in this waste into a feedstock suitable for Bio Diesel production, which is then blended with the Diesel available at all service stations. This enables FSE’s, Haulers and Water Utilities who use Eco Clarity’s FOG Consolidation Hubs for disposal of their waste, the ability to create a circular economy, by running their diesel cars and trucks on the waste that they generate.

Eco Clarity is excited to be working with Southern Water to launch this service in the next 12 months.

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Brighton buses could be powered by sewer fat biofuel

Fat clogging a sewer pipe (Image: Southern Water)

By Zac Sherratt @SherrattZac Digital Reporter

A water company hopes to use the fat which usually clogs its sewer network to power buses in the city.

Fat, oil and grease (FOG) from participating food outlets in Brighton and Hove will be delivered to Southern Water’s treatment works where it will be mixed with FOG removed from wastewater and turned into a biofuel.

The company is targeting restaurants which collect FOG in their fat traps, rather than pouring it down the sink, which it says will expose those not using the traps, leaving them open to prosecution.

Stephen Williams, Southern Water’s network protection and enforcement officer, said: “FOG is a real curse for sewers.

“It’s a major cause of blockages and resulting pollution, but it’s also a resource.

“Getting usable oil out of the 51 million litres of wastewater that pours into Peacehaven every day, along with collections from businesses, and turning it into a useful fuel would benefit all of us and the planet.”

Fat clings to the inside of sewer walls (Image: Southern Water)

The project, which will use a waste conversion system from green technology company Eco-Clarity, could begin “as early as next year”.

And if the scheme works, it could be rolled out across the entire Southern Water network region.

Christopher Clemes, chief executive and co-founder of Eco Clarity, said: “We have developed a revolutionary technology for the recovery of FOG generated by food service establishments (FSEs).

“Eco Clarity’s FOG consolidation hubs provide accessible disposal locations for haulers to sustainably dispose of FOG containing wastewater before it enters the sewer network or waste water treatment works, where it can be a major cause of blockages, spills and costly clean-up operations.

READ MORE: Southern Water told to pay out almost £30 million

“Eco Clarity is able to consolidate the FOG present in this waste into a feedstock suitable for bio-diesel production, which is then blended with the diesel available at all service stations.

“This enables FSEs, haulers and water utilities who use Eco Clarity’s FOG consolidation hubs for disposal of their waste the ability to create a circular economy, by running their diesel cars and trucks on the waste that they generate.”

The company is hoping that bus companies will be interested in using the biofuel. Brighton and Hove Buses has told The Argus that there are currently no plans to use it.

Nick Hill, commercial director at the bus company, said: “We have no plans to use these particular biofuels currently, but we are always open to new ways of reducing our emissions.”

Turning FOG Wastewater into Biodiesel Feedstock and Clean Water for Reuse

Robin Hayes, Editor at Cape Business News Writes:

A year has elapsed since the editor interviewed South African entrepreneur Christopher Clemes, who jointly invented and patented the Eco Clarity technology solution in the UK, which separates problematic FOG (Fat, oil and grease) from wastewater. The process recovers a valuable feedstock for the manufacture of biodiesel while returning effectively cleaned wastewater to the waste stream. (See article: Taking the fat out of fatbergs – CBN April 2022 – www.cbn.co.za/online-edition/cbn-april-2022).

Keen to follow the development of this revolutionary system, the editor tracked down Chris Clemes on a recent visit ‘back home’ to the Cape where in addition to some R&R, Chris will be in discussions with personnel from Fabrinox in Paarl, the manufacturers of the containerised Eco Clarity plant units.

Huge Demand

“Since our first pilot plant was set up in Amsterdam two years ago for one of Europe’s largest biodiesel producers, Argent Energy, we have been investing in an R&D phase which has resulted in a third generation plant which was recently installed at Argent’s site in Stanlow, Ellesmere Port in the UK” explained Clemes.

“What we have uncovered is that there is huge demand for our recovery technology. There are about 142 000 food service outlets in the UK, each producing around 140ℓ/month of between 5 – 30% FOG which has to be disposed of in a responsible manner by GTW (Grease Trap Waste) hauliers.

“Our model of placing an Eco Clarity hub at a wastewater treatment site within 1 hour’s drive for the hauliers means that they benefit by completing more trips / day and greater revenue, and for the wastewater utility, the recovery of treated wastewater that previously untreated, could interfere with the biological functions of the plant. In a worst case scenario, illegally dumped FOG from overflowing grease traps causes sewer pipe blockages called ‘fatbergs’.

“The big bonus is that the concentrated FOG – up from an untreated 5%, is now +95% pure and of real value to the manufacturers of biodiesel.

“Our original 50t capacity plant has now been doubled in capacity to 100t with bigger tanks and our fourth generation plants, two of which are currently under construction by Fabrinox, will be delivered to a UK customer by October this year.

Milestone Achieved

“We have now reached an R&D milestone where fourth generation plants can now be considered for commercial manufacture on an assembly line as a fully packaged and guaranteed treatment system. Based on our research and discussions with customers and stakeholders we conclude that it’s entirely feasible to have up to 40 plants operating in the UK and Europe by 2026.

“We have already received offers from water utilities throughout the UK to install Eco Clarity units at numerous sites and enquires are pouring in from Europe, Middle East, India and China.

“Twelve UK GTW hauliers have over 400t of FOG waiting to be processed at any one time and original estimates of 20t/week/plant of pure FOG have been revised upwards to a much higher potential of pure FOG per /week/plant. We have also received enquiries from a number of new potential sources of FOG, for example from sites which are currently spreading to land.”

Local Opportunities.

“In order to meet demand, Fabrinox are ramping up production and envisage a dedicated production line of Eco Clarity units. We are also in discussions with them for greater involvement of their service and facilities such as procurement and installation teams for the UK.

“Under investigation is a solar powered Eco Clarity unit and the original Amsterdam pilot plant is being returned to SA to be used as an R&D test bed as local conditions here are different to those encountered in Europe, with scope for testing for our similar markets globally.

“I have my eye on the first Eco Clarity plant in SA being installed at ‘the restaurant capital’, Franschhoek although we are in discussions with several municipalities in the Western Cape who have expressed interest in the concept” he concluded.

 

How Eco-Clarity Works

Eco-Clarity has created a patented technology solution that easily collects and separates fat, oils and grease (FOG) from waste water through an efficient and fully automatic hub system made up of three scalable containers.

The system enables FOG to be separated before it enters the water system and becomes problematic. The cleaned water is then reused or safely returned to the waste stream. In turn, the successfully separated FOG becomes a sustainable raw material that can be used to produce second-generation biodiesel – feedstock for energy recovery in the UK and EU, which qualifies for triple counting renewable energy directive (RED) credits.

The oil recovered goes up from 5% to +95% concentration after going through the Eco Clarity system, turning it into a valuable raw material for biodiesel production.

Eco Clarity is transforming the wastewater disposal process by extracting a valuable raw material whilst improving the quality of the separated water for reuse or for conventional treatment.

A standard Eco Clarity hub can handle 10 tons of FOG containing waste water in 10 minutes, which can then go on to begin separation immediately, and begin harvesting within 30 minutes. The hub’s efficient system currently uses just 25% of the energy typically used in similar processes, with temperatures never exceeding 60 degrees to ensure low energy consumption.

Eco Clarity is focused on revolutionising the way wastewater is handled by turning the process from one of disposal, into one of conversion into effectively clean water, by filtering out beneficial oil residues which can then be used as raw material for the production of biodiesel – a sustainable alternative to fossil fuel, which can reduce GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions by around 90%, directly impacting the world’s carbon footprint.

Eco-Clarity Works with Argent on Decarbonisation

TRANSFORMING WASTEWATER INTO VALUABLE FEEDSTOCK FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HIGH-QUALITY BIODIESEL AT ARGENT

The latest Eco Clarity Waste Conversion Hub has been set up in the UK, at Argent’s site in Stanlow, Ellesmere Port. Eco Clarity is focused on revolutionising the way wastewater is handled by turning the process from one of disposal, into one of conversion into effectively clean water, by filtering out beneficial oil residues which can then go on to be used as raw material for the production of biodiesel.

HOW ECO-CLARITY WORKS

Eco-Clarity has created a patented technology solution that easily collects and separates fat, oils and grease (FOG) from waste water through an efficient and fully automatic hub system made up of three scalable containers.

The system enables FOG to be separated before it enters the water system and becomes problematic. The cleaned water is then being reused or safely returned to the waste stream. In turn, the successfully separated FOG becomes a sustainable raw material that can be used to produce second-generation biodiesel.

A standard Eco Clarity hub can handle 10 tonnes of FOG containing waste water in 10 minutes, which can then go on to be separated and harvested within 30 minutes. The hub’s efficient system currently uses just 25% of the energy typically used in similar processes, with temperatures never exceeding 60 degrees to ensure a low energy consumption.

VALUABLE FEEDSTOCK RESULTS

The oil recovered goes up from 5% to 98% concentration after going through the Eco Clarity system, turning it into a desirable raw material for biodiesel production.

Eco Clarity is transforming the wastewater disposal process by extracting a valuable raw material whilst improving the water quality that is being disposed of.

PRODUCTION AT ARGENT

The first tonnes of biodiesel made from the FOG from the EcoClarity hub has been produced. By turning the feedstock into second-generation biodiesel, a sustainable alternative to fossil fuel, this material will go on to reduce GHG emissions by around 90%, having a direct impact on the world’s carbon footprint.

Argent always aims to accept a wide range of highly de-graded waste fats, oils and greases to give them a new purpose as high quality biodiesel to help towards the decarbonisation of transport, among other industries.

Through Eco Clarity and Argent Energy, valuable renewable resources have been created from materials that may otherwise have ended up discarded.

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TAKING THE FAT OUT OF FATBERGS

Eco Clarity unit under test at Fabrinox works in Paarl.

In this CBN exclusive, Editor Robin Hayes speaks to South African entrepreneur and former Western Cape resident, Chris Clemes about his ground breaking technological solution which alleviates the problem of FOG (fat, oil & grease) sewer blockages and disposal, creating value to a valueless product while saving costs, water, transportation and the environment.

As an added bonus, the containerised, modular plant that is the heart of the system is manufactured right here in Paarl by metal fabrication specialists Fabrinox and soon to be exported worldwide.

THE problem faced by water and waste water utilities the world over is that of the disposal and or illegally dumped FOG entering sewer systems, which often leads to the formation of sewer blocking ‘fatbergs’ (see box below).

After several years of development, a solution have has been created through a patented technology developed by UK based Eco Clarity, the company formed by South African, Chris Clemes.

While the pioneering development work and the initial target market for this technology is the UK, strong interest has been shown by European utilities, especially in The Netherlands where a pilot plant has been operating for more than a year, and ‘back home’ by Western Cape municipalities.

All food service establishments (FSE) – restaurants, cafeterias, fast food outlets, industrial kitchens etc., and filling stations are required by law to incorporate grease traps into their waste water systems as a preventative measure to stop FOG from entering the downstream sewer system and wastewater treatment plant. FOG is collected in their Grease Trap, and this Grease Trap must be cleaned regularly to avoid overflowing into the downstream sewer network. This waste is collected by hauliers and is referred to as Grease Trap Waste (GTW).

The disposal of this waste is as problematic here in South Africa as it is in the UK, although the volumes are much greater there and the distances between a declining numbers of certified disposal sites presents logistical and financial issues and has led to illegal dumping. This is where the Eco Clarity technology GTW consolidation hubs seems set to solve this dilemma.

A boer maak n ‘plan!

“Eco Clarity is revolutionary approach to Grease Trap Waste (GTW) management. With our patented technology we can accept and process large volumes of GTW in real-time. By forming a network of convenient GTW Consolidation sites, we can reduce time and logistic costs for GTW haulers, thus attracting large volumes of Grease Trap Tankered waste to these sites” explained Clemes.

“Our small footprint, containerised, low energy plants enable the legal disposal of GTW at almost any wastewater treatment works site. With reduced travel times GTW haulers can spend, less time driving to distant disposal locations, and more time servicing their FSE customers, thus reducing spills into the downstream sewer networks, reducing blockages and associated reactive clean-up costs.”

From no value to a high value win-win.

FOG is defined as the lipid rich material generated during cooking and food processing having a high calorific content making it an ideal feedstock for energy recovery which in the UK and EU qualifies for triple counting renewable energy directive (RED) credits unlike Used Cooking Oil (UCO).

GTW in its typical form is not suitable for bio-diesel producers, who require a minimum 95% FOG concentration. Transporting large volumes of water for small feedstock volume and high pre-treatment costs to dewater it, gives it very little economic value, and less incentive for GTW haulers to collect waste at affordable prices.

Clemes explains: “Eco Clarity has developed a patented process for harvesting FOG and solids, effectively dewatering the GTW and achieving the very saleable 95% FOG concentration whilst discharging water with typically a 30% Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) reduction and less than 0.001% FOG content. The process is purely mechanical and uses no chemicals.

“The conversion of GTW into a concentrated high value feed stock in great demand for biodiesel production and meeting Renewable Energy Directive targets in the UK and EU. We can provide feedstock with International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) while generating Renewable Energy Directive Credits for Bio-Diesel Producers, and Green Credentials for water utilities who enable the acceptance of GTW to their sites, and for the Grease Trap Waste Haulers who despose of their GTW at these sites” he enthused.

GTW solution

“To address the problem of having fewer and fewer disposal locations that accept GTW, and with more countries banning acceptance at landfill, our model – that is gaining wide acceptance in the UK – involves establishing a network of convenient low cost GTW disposal sites that can be installed at any existing wastewater treatment works, or private permitted wastewater discharge sites. The patented technology has a small footprint, is low energy and low cost, and can handle large volumes continuously. Our ‘FOG Consolidation Hubs’ are modular, scalable and containerised.

“The Eco Clarity concept has been proven in long term tests at a trial and testing facility in Amsterdam with Argent Energy, Netherlands, a major bio-diesel producer in The Netherlands. Having validated our technology and successfully completed trials, we have now completed FAT of our latest 3rd generation plant in Jan/Feb 2022 with shipping and installation at Argent Energy, UK to go-live at a fully operational capacity in April 2022. Eco Clarity provides a unique low risk and high return opportunity for enabling GTW deliveries at existing wastewater treatment sites in the UK and Europe, in fact anywhere!” concluded Clemes.

Local manufacturing bonus

The sophisticated Eco Clarity containerised plant and components are locally manufactured by metal fabricator Fabrinox in Paarl. The company built the original test unit supplied to Argent Energy in The Netherlands and have in collaboration with Clemes and his team, refined the concept and manufacturing techniques, with plans, and work started on, shipping a further three plants to sites the UK where Fabrinox experts will assemble, test and commission the units before handover to Eco Clarity.

The fact that Fabrinox can successfully manufacture and export competitively to an international market, bears testimony to the firm’s 29 year reputation in manufacturing, project management and installation capabilities for both local and international clients.

  • Upon cooling, FOG congeals and solidifies, accumulating on pipe walls and potentially forming hardened deposits. Fatbergs lead to a reduction in sewer conveyance capacity and ultimately to sanitary sewer overflows that cost water utilities globally hundreds of millions of Rands each year in reactive cleaning, repairing, and maintenance fees.
  • Eco Clarity’s Hubs have a small footprint of 10m2, made up of an automated Huber solids screen, two 6m treatment containers, and a 6m FOG post processing and storage container.
  • A standard Eco Clarity GTW Hub, is capable of accepting 10 tons of GTW in 10 minutes, with a further 10 ton truck each 15-20 minutes thereafter. Being automated the system is able to receive waste 24/7. With a quick setup, the Eco Clarity GTW Conversion Hub was ready to process waste within three days of delivery.

Source: Cape Business News

Taking the fat out of fatbergs

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