C2181 - ENZAFOODS New Zealand Limited,
Hastings - Hawkes Bay Region
Summary
ENZAFOODS have implemented two projects that demonstrate how a cleaner production
approach can be applied equally successfully to situations that require a
reduction in resource use to comply with legislation, and to process improvements
that improve product yields and reduce environmental impact.
Business Profile
ENZAFOODS is a major manufacturer of fruit and vegetable juice concentrates
and other processed apple and vegetable products. The Hastings site manufactures
both clear and cloudy apple juice concentrates, as well as pear, kiwifruit
and carrot concentrates. The site operates all year round with high levels
of production in the winter months.
Type of Projects
Water reuse and reduced product loss.
Reasons for Projects
ENZAFOODS saw cleaner production as a way to cut costs, to reduce
dependence on limited resources and to improve efficiencies in
a competitive market. The export-oriented business requires high
standards in quality of product, operational efficiencies and
increasingly in environmental performance. ENZAFOODS involvement
with the Target Zero cleaner production follows on from a 1995
study on their environmental performance that identified a number
of options for improvement.
Target Zero
The Hastings ENZAFOODS site has been a participant in Target Zero, a two-year
sponsored cleaner production programme involving 12 companies in Christchurch
and 10 in Hawkes Bay during the period 1997-1999. The programme was sponsored
by the Sustainable Management Fund of the Ministry for the Environment, Meridian
Energy Ltd (formerly ECNZ), and the local authority and electricity company
in each area.
The Projects
Bore Water Reuse
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Description
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The factory was using between 125,000 l/hour and 187,500
l/hour of bore water, with a resource consent for the abstraction
of 156,900 l/hour. The proposal was to collect waste bore
water from the final juice coolers and both evaporators,
the belt press pasteuriser and the chiller plant heat exchanger.
The savings in bore water achieved have been 18,000 to
80,000 l/hour. This saving has meant that the site is now
complying with its resource consent.
The operating cost to recover and treat the bore water
so that it is suitable for reuse were greater than 75%
of the savings realised from avoided trade waste charges.
Consequently the justification for proceeding with the
project was primarily to meet a resource consent requirement.
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Environmental Benefit
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Reduction in the volume of bore water used, resulting
in compliance with current consent limits.
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Economic Benefit |
Capital cost $67,287
Savings $3,536/annum
Payback 19 years |
Reclaim of Juice from Ultra-Filter Retentate
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Description
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Approximately 150,000 litres of concentrate per annum
was being lost due to the inability to incorporate this
retentate stream back into the main process. A new process
was developed using dedicated decanters to ensure that
all retentate was captured therefore maximising the sugar
recovery.
The use of the decanters has meant more maintenance expenses
as the bentonite component of the retentate is very abrasive
to stainless steel surfaces. The need to heat the retentate
before reprocessing and the use of additional decanters
has increased the consumption of steam and electricity
respectively.
There has been a large gain in the overall yield of product
produced by this new process. Over a projected 120 day
season on apple for 1999, the increase will be 150,000
litres of additional product.
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Environmental Benefit
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There is 23,000 litres of sugar rich product that is no
longer entering the wastewater stream to trade waste. There
has been an improvement (increase) in the pH of the effluent
since this process was introduced.
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Economic Benefit |
Capital cost $400,000
Savings $222,500/annum
Payback 22 months
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For additional information contact:
Mike Anderson
ENZAFOODS New Zealand Limited
PO Box 45
Hastings
Ph (06) 878 9296
Fax (06) 876 2039
Email: mja@enzafoods.co.nz |
For further information about the Target Zero programme
see following publication:
- You too can profit from cleaner production
and waste minimisation
- Coordinating cleaner production programmes.
Lessons from Target Zero
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