Chemical–free brewery solutions from Radical Waters Thursday, December 16, 2010
Three years after Radical Waters pioneered the supply of Electrochemically Activated Water (better known as ECA Technology) as ground breaking chemical-free green technology for CIP applications in the Carbonated Softdrink Industry, the company has now satisfied the gruelling requirements of SABMiller and proven cost savings per CIP of 93%.“SABMiller addresses at least two of its ten sustainable development priority areas by using innovative technology from Radical Waters to use less water and reduce its energy and carbon footprint. In this regard the sharing of such technology advances has global benefits for the group as well as other companies with like-minded objectives,” according to Stuart Richter, SABMiller Technical Manager Packaging responsible for the trial. SABMiller plc is one of the world’s largest brewing companies with brewing interests and distribution agreements across six continents.
Radical Waters is the global market leader in the supply of ECA technology, with over 50 Industrial ECA devices supplied to blue chip global beverage CSD and Concentrate bottling plants in 19 countries across 6 continents. The first installed device at a CSD site has been in daily use for over 3 years, while the first device was sold to the USA in December 2008.
With a global beverage patent pending, Radical Waters ECA technology is able to offer all beverage producers substantial cost savings in terms of water, energy and sanitation time through its proprietary shorter rinse cycles and ambient sanitation within customised protocols established by Radical Waters, which should then be strictly applied for maximum benefit and safety.
After the conclusion of extensive trials on one of the packaging lines in the 2.2 million hectolitres per annum Chamdor Brewery (in Johannesburg, South Africa) Radical Waters has not only satisfied the stringent anti-microbial efficacy standards required for packaging of beer and Alcohol Flavoured Beverages but has also validated total savings per CIP of 93% (excluding a value for the 43% time reduction) when compared to a traditional 5 step CIP.
The breakdown of the savings is as follows:
● Water reduction of 63%
● Energy reduction due to cleaning at ambient temperature of 98%
● Chemical cost reduction of 99%
The successful results from the 6 month trial and the subsequent implementation of the unique Radical Waters ECA technology within the brewery are due to the technical partnership between Radical Waters and SABMiller. Vijay Sookhdeo, SABMiller Packaging Centre of Excellence Project Leader adds ‘Based on our findings the ECA technology represents a great alternative to the conventional CIP. The savings from an energy/cost and time perspective makes this a very viable alternative considering quality is not compromised”
ECA is a water-based technology that mimics the human body’s production of the natural antimicrobial agent, Hypochlorous acid, offering a safe and non-hazardous approach to disinfection and sanitation. Since it is all natural, and made from salt+water+electricity, it is safe to use in most beverage environments, safe to handle, and yet delivers a potent and reliable means for natural decontamination. After proven applications of this technology it has global beverage producers actively seeking it out.
Although ECA as a hygiene technology is still relatively new in the commercial sense, it has been around for quite some time. This advanced aqua-science was originally developed in Russia in the 1970’s and was originally used in the mining industry. After more than a decade of extensive research and development into ECA and introducing the technology into the food & beverage market in early 2004, with a series of novel and patented ECA based food and beverage applications, Radical Waters has become a leading international supplier of customised ECA technology and expertise. One such application, which has allowed beverage companies significant savings, is in the substitution of traditional cleaning sanitation chemicals used during conventional CIP (Cleaning in Place) procedures.
Not only is water an expensive commodity for any beverage plant, but the supply of good quality source water will continue to become progressively more tenuous. Beverage producers have thus had to acknowledge their impact on broader scale environmental issues which progressively threaten the scarce water resources that we, as a planet depend upon.
“The issue up until recently, has been that plants have had limited choices other than that of chemicals to treat source water. The use of traditional chemicals during CIP not only contradicts the current “green” school of thought, but is, also, in many instances an ineffective way in which to consistently ensure low microbial counts and subsequent water quality. Further more, under the existing chemical regime, Beverage processors need to endure lengthier CIP cycles due to the amount of rinse steps necessary to purge out any remaining chemical residues” advises Dr Robin Kirkpatrick- PhD (Technical Director at Radical Waters)
On the platform of enhanced energy and water efficiencies, Radical Waters is continuing to expand its presence rapidly in all international markets. This ground breaking technology is revolutionizing attitudes and applications within all industries, and is ideally suited when implementing HACCP where the elimination and constant control of microbial contamination is vital.