ACG Revolutionizes Wastewater Treatment with Membrane Distillation Technology for Zero Liquid Discharge

Water is a critical resource for pharmaceutical manufacturing. The industry requires large amounts of water for various manufacturing processes, which is projected to increase with the growing demand for pharmaceutical products. 

Its water usage can significantly impact the environment, causing the industry to be under increasing pressure to reduce its water footprint and ensure sustainable water and wastewater management practices. ACG, the world’s largest integrated supplier of pharmaceutical empty capsules, granulation, tablet coating, capsule filling and packing films, is leading the charge in this regard.

Challenge

ACG’s formulation facilities generate complex waste streams with high organic content from multiple processes, which must be treated in compliance with strict zero liquid discharge (ZLD) regulations. To achieve this, ACG has partnered with Aquatech to develop a robust ZLD solution for its wastewater at its manufacturing facility in Dahanu, India. 

Solution

Aquatech’s innovative solution combines biological wastewater treatment with high-recovery reverse osmosis (RO) and advanced membrane distillation to operate a 350 m3/day zero liquid discharge plant. 

The advanced combination of expanded granular sludge bed treatment, anoxic treatment for denitrification, membrane bioreactor, and high-recovery RO was deployed with a radical twist: proprietary membrane distillation technology, which combines the advantages of thermal distillation and membranes?to achieve high product quality at lower energy consumption. 

Customer Benefits

The results of ACG’s partnership with Aquatech are impressive. Their innovative solution has enabled ACG to save power and generate 400 kWh per day of green energy through biomethane production. Additionally, over 95% of water is recycled and recovered for reuse, helping to alleviate local water stress, and the company has achieved ZLD with a minimal energy footprint, despite the complexity of ACG’s waste streams. 

The project in Dahanu is part of a larger water technology and service program implemented across three additional sites. The program aims to produce high-quality water for reuse from challenging waste streams by combining biological wastewater treatment and membrane distillation to achieve ACG’s water sustainability goals. 

The Importance of Proactive Water Stewardship

Companies must prioritize sustainable manufacturing practices in today's world, and ACG is leading the charge in the pharmaceutical industry. Their proactive commitment to innovative solutions that reduce water consumption, conserve energy, and minimize waste is commendable. 

ACG’s partnership with Aquatech to develop a ZLD solution for its wastewater in India is a testament to its commitment to sustainable water and wastewater management practices. ACG sets the standard for water sustainability in the pharmaceutical industry by achieving ZLD with a minimal energy footprint, saving power, and generating green energy through biomethane production. 

This Zero Liquid Discharge facility was kickstarted during the pandemic. With a focus on reducing wastage and decreasing dependency on fresh, natural resources, Aquatech and ACG World collaborated to set up the first-of-its-kind system, which now recycles 90%+ of starting water for reuse, alleviating local water problems and superseding regulation guidelines. 

As the only capsule organization using ZLD systems to handle wastewater, I am proud that ACG is setting new benchmarks for minimizing its carbon footprint. As we continue to make it better, this plant has inspired similar developments at all our sites. Congratulations to the team for executing this impactful project during very challenging times!” 

-Karan Singh  
Managing Director, ACG Worldwide