Interview with Mr. Pravin Rane, Area Sales Manager (India), Teknofanghi Water Treatment Asia Pvt Ltd
We as branch of Teknofanghi Group with its Headquarter in Milan, Italy. Teknofanghi was founded in 1987, and it is specialized in the design, manufacture, and supply of equipment for sludge thickening, dewatering & handling and microfiltration solutions for different types of water & wastewaters
Paper Desk: How much water is typically used in paper mill’s production process?
Pravin Rane: The amount of water used in a paper mill’s production process can vary significantly based on the type of paper being produced, the mill’s technology, and its efficiency. However, on average, a paper mill can use between 10 to 100 liters of water per kilogram of paper produced.
PD : What technologies and strategies you will suggest for reducing water consumption effectively?
PR : Implementing water recovery technologies like ZLD systems – Primary chemical treatment, anaerobic filters, biological treatment, clarification, sludge dewatering machine, microfiltration, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, MEE, can purify and recycle wastewater to be reused in the production process.
PD: How does paper mill approach water recycling, and what percentage of water is generally reused within paper production process?
PR : In modern, high-efficiency mills, around 70% to 95% of water can be reused within the production process. For example, a closed-loop system in a highly efficient mill could allow for 90% or more of the water used to be recycled.
PD : What role does regulation play in water management at papermill, and how do you adapt to changing regulations on water usage and discharge?
PR : Regulation plays a critical role in water management at a paper mill, ensuring that the mill’s water usage, treatment, and discharge practices align with environmental standards. Paper mills are typically subject to stringent water-related regulations that govern water intake, wastewater treatment, discharge quality, and water conservation. These regulations help mitigate the environmental impact of the paper production process, especially in terms of pollution, water depletion, and ecosystem protection.
PD : How does your sludge dewatering machine reduce the wet sludge quantity and recycle good quality filtrate?
PR : The sludge dewatering combo unit sludge thickener & belt filter press is an important technology used in paper mills to reduce the volume of wet sludge and separate out clean, reusable water (filtrate). This technology offers fully automatic process, good quality trackable wet cake, less electricity consumption, low operation & maintenance cost, long lasting machine.
PD : What are the primary sources of water pollution in the mill’s papermaking process, and what measures are in place to mitigate these effects?
PR : Water pollution in a paper mill’s papermaking process primarily arises from various stages where water interacts with raw materials, chemicals, and waste products. These contaminants can include solids, chemicals, biological materials, and organic matter. These pollutants can result in high levels of biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and potentially toxic compounds.
Therefore, the effluent treatment plant is required to treat the wastewater, because of high BOD and COD the sludge generation is high; to treat this high quantity of sludge, the fully automatic sludge dewatering system is required to reduce the quantity of wet sludge. The good quality filtrate is recycled in the ETP.