by Brianna Crandall — February 26, 2014—Cambrian Innovation, a water and bioenergy technology provider, and Bear Republic Brewing Company recently announced the unveiling of an EcoVolt water treatment system at Bear Republic’s brewery in Cloverdale, California. The EcoVolt system employs a proprietary bioelectric technology to treat wastewater and generate biogas, transforming waste into an asset. Bear Republic is the first brewery to purchase the energy positive EcoVolt system, which will cut water treatment costs, generate clean water and energy for use on site, and significantly reduce the brewery’s CO2 footprint.
EcoVolt is said to be the world’s first and only industrial-scale, bioelectrically enhanced wastewater treatment and reuse system. It was designed particularly for the food and beverage industry, and is under development for other industrial uses. Electrically active organisms rapidly eliminate 80-90% of the biological oxygen demand (BOD). The bioelectrochemical system also converts carbon dioxide directly into high-quality biogas that can be used on-site to generate both heat and electricity for Bear Republic’s production process. The EcoVolt is expected to deliver an annual return on investment of more than 25%.
With this pioneering system, the brewery can:
- Generate enough clean heat and electricity to eliminate more than 50% of the site’s baseload electricity use;
- Supply more than 10% of the facility’s requirements with recycled water; and
- Cut operational costs by hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.
The EcoVolt installation includes a “headworks” unit, modular reactors for treatment and a packaged combined heat and power system. The reactors are delivered on a flatbed truck and are the size of a cargo shipping container, enabling rapid and simple system installation and commissioning. The modular design enables food and beverage companies to incrementally add capacity as they grow, reducing upfront capital expenses. Bear Republic plans to treat current water capacity and expand units as it grows. EcoVolt’s bioelectric capabilities allow for continuous, remote monitoring and control, further reducing operational costs.
Cambrian Innovation says that EcoVolt is proven to treat wastewater and generate energy in a single process, reducing operating expenses and aiding with wastewater regulation compliance. It is especially important for water-intensive industries like beer brewing, which typically consumes up to ten times the amount of water for beer produced. Bear Republic says it has worked hard to achieve a 3.5 to 1 ratio, and with EcoVolt the company expects to do even better. Particularly relevant as California is in the midst of a drought, the system enables varying types of water reuse ranging from tank washing to irrigation, cutting sewer charges substantially while ensuring a stable water supply for the City of Cloverdale.
Cambrian Innovation develops biotechnology solutions that extract energy from water. Spun out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2006, Cambrian has scaled and validated its proprietary bioelectric technology across several solutions, with partners ranging from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Department of Defense to the National Science Foundation and Clos du Bois Winery. Cambrian’s flagship technology, EcoVolt, enables the food and beverage industry to cut water and energy costs by simultaneously treating wastewater and generating energy. Winner of Artemis Top 50 Water Award and the SXSW Eco Innovation Award, Cambrian is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.
