INTERNATIONAL CLEANER PRODUCTION INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE

CASE STUDY #75

1. Headline: Installation of a beer centrifuge

2. Background: The water consumption and COD emission per ton

beer are higher than in corresponding figures from other

breweries, the same is true for the amount of beer loss.

The main cause of beer and raw material loss occurs in the

diatomite filtration process.

To solve this problem, the company, took part as one

demonstration enterprise in the China Technical Assistance

Project of the World Bank. During 1993, representatives

from ZBBC, six other companies and institutions such as

the National Environmental Protection Authority (NEPA),

the Chinese Research Academy for Environmental Sciences

(CRAES) and the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau

(BEPB) were trained in cleaner production by consultants

from UNEP/IE and IVAM Environmental Research (Amsterdam

University). Part of the training included carrying out

cleaner production assessments in the participating

companies.

Zhongce Beijing Beer Company (ZBBC) is located in the east

of Beijing city. There are 1,550 employees, 310 of which

are technical staff. The primary products are 11 degree

and 12 degree bottled, barrelled and canned, Beijing Beer.

The production capacity is 120,000 tons of beer per year.

3. Cleaner Production Principle:

4. Description of Cleaner Production Application:

The company set up a cleaner production audit team headed

by the company manager and the chief engineer. The audit

team evaluated the production and wastes generated in the

company and came up with 27 cleaner production options.

Fifteen of them have been implemented.

The benefits achieved follow:

a. The output of barrelled and canned beer increased by

3,200 tons compared to the same period in the previous

year with economic benefits of 3.66 million RMB Y and the

COD emission reduction by 35.

Two tons were saved by implementing process modifications.

b. Raw materials saving and waste reduction resulted in

economic benefits of 1.033 million RMB Y and COD emission

reduction by 220.5 tons

5. Economics:

Investment: 430,000 US$ and 225,000 RMB Y

Annual extra cash flow: 1.046 million RMB Y

Payback period: 2.6 years

The internal rate of return: 36.82%

6. Advantages: The benefits of installing a beer centrifuge

are as follows:

reduced beer loss

diminished COD concentration in the effluent

saving raw materials

7. Constraints: N/A

8. Contacts:Mr Junhua Lui, engineer

Zhongce Beijing Beer Company

32 Baiziwan Road

Chaoyang District, Beijing

Zip Code: 100022

China

Tel: +86 10 771 2220 ext.374

9. Keywords:China, brewery,

10. Reviewer's Comments: This case study was taken from the

document: "Cleaner Production in China," published by the

National Environmental Protection Agency of China. It was

edited for the ICPIC diskette in August 1995, but has not

undergone a formal technical review.