PROJECTS
FISH PROTEIN AND OIL
Recovery of fish protein and oil at TripleNine​​
Problem
TripleNine, a leading producer of fishmeal and fish oil, handles large volumes of unloading water from fishing vessels that contain significant amounts of dissolved and suspended fish protein and oil. Discharging this stream with only conventional treatment meant losing valuable marine nutrients and putting additional pressure on the wastewater system. This challenged the company’s resource efficiency and responsibility.
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Solution
To address this challenge BioAqua has developed and manufactured a complete system for the recovery of fish protein and fish oil from the unloading water at TripleNine. The system is fully integrated into the existing processing plant and designed for continuous operation, following the unloading of fishing vessels and fluctuating water volumes.
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The system concentrates the valuable ingredients from the water – ingredients that would otherwise be lost through evaporation, incurring high costs and increasing the risk of elevated salt levels in the final product, or simply discarded, with additional expense for cleaning and transport.
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Three large flotation tanks treat the water in a 2-step process: one food-grade treatment and one traditional. This efficiently separates solids, oil, and dissolved organic matter, reduces the load on downstream treatment, and recovers high-quality protein and oil fractions that can be reused as valuable raw materials in the feed industry.
Result
With this installation, TripleNine turns a former waste stream into a resource, improving yield, and minimizing losses.
BioAqua's flotation tank scoops off the skimming layer of fish protein and oil.
Engineer from TripleNine standing next to BioAqua's fish protein and oil recovery system. Photo: Lars Møller
INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER
Treatment of leachate
Problem
Leachate is the water that has been in contact with waste stored in a landfill and is collected via a drainage system before treatment. Because each landfill receives different types of waste – from incineration residues to composted materials or long-closed deposits – the composition of the leachate varies significantly, and not two sites are alike. This variability, combined with strict local regulations, makes it challenging for landfill operators to select and invest in a reliable, efficient leachate treatment system without taking on considerable technical and financial risks.
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Solution
BioAqua specializes in designing and building customized treatment systems for leachate, always starting with a dedicated piloting phase. In close cooperation with the landfill operator, a pilot unit is installed that combines an array of technologies such as flocculation, flotation and screw press, allowing different treatment configurations to be tested under real operating conditions. During the test period, the process is continuously optimized, and individual technologies can be included or excluded to identify the most effective solution for the specific landfill. BioAqua has installed such customized solutions all over the world.
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Result
By basing the final design on pilot data, both the landfill and BioAqua significantly reduce risks associated with investing in a new leachate treatment solution. The selected full-scale system is then either integrated into an existing building or delivered as a fully insulated containerized plant, providing a robust, flexible and compliant treatment setup tailored to local requirements. This approach ensures stable operation, regulatory compliance, and long-term protection of the surrounding environment.
FOOD PROCESSING
Fish processing
Problem
Wastewater from the fish processing industry, such as blood water and filleting water, contains high levels of fat, proteins, and organic matter, which must be removed to meet strict discharge requirements. The variability in feed water parameters – depending on the type of fish, processing methods, and production volumes – makes it challenging to design a reliable treatment system that consistently achieves the required outlet quality without excessive chemical use or operational complexity.
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Solution
BioAqua has extensive experience in designing customized treatment systems based on specific feed-water parameters and discharge standards, primarily utilizing dissolved air flotation (DAF) to effectively remove fat and proteins. Where needed, flocculants are applied to enhance flocculation, while ozone is used to ensure disinfection of the water.
Result
The implemented systems deliver consistent high-quality effluent compliant with regulations, while minimizing energy consumption and chemical dosing. Overall, BioAqua’s expertise enables fish processors to optimize wastewater management, reduce environmental impact, and potentially value by-products for economic benefit.
Flotation on the Shetland Islands
Containerized solution
Problem
Due to the unique characteristics of industrial activity in Iceland, heavy industries and fish processing plants face significant challenges in managing and disposing of waste streams such as wastewater, wet sludge, blood, and fats. These by-products typically contain high levels of organic material and therefore require specialized treatment to comply with strict environmental regulations.
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Solution
To enable testing of wastewater treatment technologies across different locations and industries, BioAqua has developed a containerized solution based on coagulation and flocculation processes. The system is housed in a standard 20-foot container, making it both compact and mobile.
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The BioAqua system consists of three mixing chambers dedicated to pH adjustment, coagulation, and flocculation. Each chamber is equipped with mixers featuring frequency control, as well as dosing pumps for the required chemicals. A polymer preparation unit is included for flocculant dosing.
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Following the treatment stages, the system incorporates a flotation unit consisting of a polyethylene (PE) tank with a dispersion water system and a surface skimmer. In this unit, flocculated wastewater is mixed with microbubbles, causing the flocs to rise to the surface. The floating sludge is removed by a scraper and collected in a funnel.
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The microbubbles are generated by a specialized pump and nozzle system that produces millions of micron-sized bubbles, ensuring efficient separation. The collected sludge is then transferred via a hose pump for dewatering. The screw press connected to the flotation unit produces sludge with a dryness of approximately 5–10%, depending on the characteristics of the wastewater and the scraping frequency.
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The system is expected to achieve a reduction in Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) of approximately 60%, along with up to 95% removal of fats.
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Result
The BioAqua system is fully automated and features an advanced control system that monitors operation, process parameters, and alarms. The complete solution is delivered as a fully equipped container, including documentation, service, maintenance, and warranty. Supervision and start-up assistance can also be provided.
This containerized facility is easily transportable, space-efficient, and offers an effective solution for reducing industrial waste streams in regions with stringent environmental requirements.
Flotation tank
Nikuni microbubble generator with microbubble nozzles
FLOTATION UNITS
Upgrade of flotation units at Danish Crown
Problem
At Danish Crown (a large Danish slaughterhouse), three existing dissolved air flotation (DAF) units, each treating 40 m³/h of wastewater, had been in operation for many years and no longer delivered optimal performance. The ageing dispersion of water systems resulted in inefficient removal of fat, oil and grease (FOG) and suspended solids, while consuming more energy than necessary. This reduced overall treatment efficiency and increased operating costs.
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Solution
BioAqua upgraded the three DAF units at Danish Crown by installing a new dispersion water system based on microbubbles. This upgrade included replacement of the old equipment with our special NIKUNI pumps and our patented injection nozzles, enabling a much more efficient dissolution and distribution of air in the flotation tanks. This approach transformed the existing DAF units into high-performance flotation systems without the need for extensive civil works, keeping investment and installation time to a minimum.
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Result
The upgraded DAF units achieved approximately 20% lower energy consumption and about 30% additional sludge removal, significantly improving the removal of fat, oil and grease, TSS, COD as well as BOD. The new system has smaller space requirements than many older aeration systems. It is simple and robust in daily operation, with low maintenance requirements for Danish Crown’s staff.
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Overall, the solution strengthened the slaughterhouse’s wastewater treatment performance and reduced operating costs, while extending the lifetime and capacity of the existing flotation units.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT
Advanced Liquid Waste Treatment Solution in Norway
Problem
A large electrolyzer manufactorer operates a state‑of‑the‑art electrolyze manufacturing facility at Herøya in Norway, producing components for green hydrogen production. Multiple electrochemical baths and extensive rinsing operations generate several distinct liquid waste streams, including nickel‑contaminated rinse water, Z‑bath and SU‑bath concentrates, and acidic and alkaline pre‑treatment streams.
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Discharge limits for nickel were tightened to an annual total of 300 g, corresponding to an average concentration of 4 µg/L for four‑line operation. The existing chemical‑mechanical precipitation system with chamber filter press could not meet these requirements, produced large quantities of wet sludge with high disposal costs and did not provide water quality suitable for reuse.
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The wastewater treatment bottleneck threatened the company’s expansion plans and operational efficiency. High external disposal costs, inability to reuse treated water, and complex manual operations made the existing solution economically and operationally unsustainable for scaled production.
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Solution
The delivered treatment plant consists of two integrated main systems designed for safe, efficient operation and water reuse.
Rinse water is treated by a multi‑stage membrane filtration line with buffer tank (TK-01), ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF), ion exchange polishing and a vacuum evaporator (DMVP500) for the concentrate. High‑concentration Z‑bath and SU‑bath streams are handled in a separate buffer tank (TK-02) and 4‑stage vacuum evaporator (DMVP250) tailored to the acidic, high‑nickel environment. Additional buffer and storage tanks secure sufficient equalization capacity for acidic, alkaline and concentrated streams, while an integrated control system with remote monitoring ensures stable, automated operation.
The modular design allows straightforward expansion from two to four production lines and further capacity upgrades.
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Result
The new system increases treatment capacity from 46.8 m³/day to 187.2 m³/day while reliably meeting the 4 µg/L nickel discharge limit.
Nickel removal efficiency exceeds 99%, and final waste volumes are reduced by more than 90%, transforming high volumes of chemical sludge into a small, manageable concentrate.
Treated water reaches reuse‑ready quality, enabling process-water recycling and significantly lowering municipal water consumption and disposal costs. By replacing chemical‑ mechanical precipitation with physical separation technologies, the electrolyzer manufactorer achieves higher performance, simplified operation, and a robust platform for future production expansion.
Performance comparison: legacy vs. new system