PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Europe has some 3 000 leather tanneries employing 50 000 people and covering all EU Member States except Luxembourg. Many new clean technologies have been introduced in the sector in recent years, but room for improvement exists. The ECCO group is one of the world's largest tannery companies and has tested three innovative environmental technologies offering substantial benefits to the industry. These are: (1) the introduction of innovative process vessels (Cangilones drums), (2) the implementation of membrane filtration in order to reuse chromium, and (3) the implementation of new waste treatment techniques (anaerobic treatment of fleshing sludge).
OBJECTIVES
The project aimed to demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility in a tannery of the three above-mentioned clean technology solutions. These solutions would go beyond the current BATs (Best Available Techniques) as defined for the European tanning industry in the EU BREF document (“Best Available Techniques for the Tanning of Hides and Skins” – February 2003).
The technologies would be implemented at the ECCO group’s Dongen tannery in the Netherlands, providing the first practical demonstrations and evaluations of these technologies. Finally, all leather associations in the EU and Accession countries would be informed of the new technologies and their operational and economical advantages.
RESULTS
One of the three innovative clean-tech technologies (the implementation of new Cangilones process drums) was successfully demonstrated. Unfortunately however, due to several technical problems that arose over the project life, the beneficiary was not able to successfully demonstrate the other two technologies namely – chrome recovery and anaerobic treatment of waste.
The main results obtained with the implementation of the Cangilones drums were as follows:
Expected chemical savings of 20% were not realised. (This was mainly because the beneficiary decided to switch back to the traditional tanning recipe to ensure better quality control over the project period.) However, the tests have indicated that savings of up to 20% are possible with adapted recipes.
Looking ahead, the beneficiary has already started to replace the drums at its Netherlands tannery with the new drums and plans to replace all 20 of its drums in the coming years. This will result in annual water savings of over 100 000 m3 (28% of total process water consumption) and in overall costs of some €19 000 per year.
One of the three innovative clean-tech technologies (the implementation of new Cangilones process drums) was successfully demonstrated. Unfortunately however, due to several technical problems that arose over the project life, the beneficiary was not able to successfully demonstrate the other two technologies namely – chrome recovery and anaerobic treatment of waste.The main results obtained with the implementation of the Cangilones drums were as follows:
Expected chemical savings of 20% were not realised. (This was mainly because the beneficiary decided to switch back to the traditional tanning recipe to ensure better quality control over the project period.) However, the tests have indicated that savings of up to 20% are possible with adapted recipes.
Looking ahead, the beneficiary has already started to replace the drums at its Netherlands tannery with the new drums and plans to replace all 20 of its drums in the coming years. This will result in annual water savings of over 100 000 m3 (28% of total process water consumption) and in overall costs of some €19 000 per year.
