The plant, which has come into operation last week a year after construction began, will allow the company to use wastewater to provide additional electricity, which will then be sent back to the public electricity network.
The group said that the process would create indirect energy savings in its operations. With food and drink groups under growing cost and consumer pressure to ensure environmentally friendly manufacture, the move highlights new initiatives having to be taken by companies across the production chain.
This is particularly the case for water intensive treatments such as beverage and ingredient production, where water use plays a major role.
Anaerobic reactor
As part of the 3,000 square metre treatment plant's design, an anaerobic reactor has been constructed at the site, which uses microorganisms to convert substances such as fruit residue present in the water into biogas. This biogas is then sent to a gas engine with an attached generator to produce power.
Global development
According to Wild, the development at its headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany, follows on from a previous installation at the company's plant in Valencia, Spain, and may pave the way for further developments worldwide.
A group spokesperson told BeverageDaily.com that the treatment technology provides a cost effective and hygienic means of cutting water and energy use in ingredient production.
"The wastewater that is recycled in this system comes from Wild's production facility where ingredients for the food and beverage industry as well as Capri Sun are produced," the spokesperson stated. "The wastewater is not derived from other sources such as the factory canteen or the lavatories."
Working on the premise that Wild's manufacturing operations in Heidelberg produce 800,000 cubic metres of wastewater a year, the company said it expected this to amount to the power consumption of 750 households over a 12 month period.
Aside from energy savings, Wild said that it was also looking to develop the technology in a bid to directly improve water use in its operations.
"While the recycled water is now transferred to the municipal wastewater treatment plant, future plans include recalculating the purified water and using it again for cleaning processes on the Wild production site," the group said. "The long-term goal is to receive drinking water quality."
External partner, AWS, provided the technology used at the plant, Wild added.