Water Management in Chemical Industries

Principal Sponsor
FICCI - HSBC
Knowledge Initiative
Water Management in
Chemical Industries
(c) Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
FICCI
Federation House
Tansen Marg
New Delhi – 110001
Website - www.ficci.com
Date: October 2013
This report is a product of FICCI Water Mission's interaction with the members of
the Chemical Committee and case studies submitted to the Mission.
This compendium of case studies on Water Management in Chemical Industries is

published under the auspices of the 'FICCI-HSBC Knowledge Initiative' Executed by
FICCI and sponsored by HSBC, the Knowledge Initiative is an attempt by FICCI
and HSBC to highlight best practices in water usage across key water intensive
industrial sectors within Indian industry such as power, agriculture, chemical, steel,
cement etc.
Though utmost care has been taken to present accurate information, FICCI and
HSBC makes no representation towards the completeness or correctness of the
information contained herein. This document is for informational purposes only.
Further, all information contained in the document are subject to change without
notice.
This publication is not intended to be a substitute for professional, legal or

technical advice. FICCI and HSBC does not accept any liability whatsoever for any
direst or consequential loss arising for any use of this document or its contents.
Rights and permissions
The material in this publication is copyrighted. Reproduction/ transmission of all or

any part of this work without acknowledgement may be a violation of the
applicable law. Please acknowledge the source of this report while producing
portions of this work. Inquiries in this regard can be addressed to FICCI Water
Mission, FICCI, Federation House, Tansen Marg, New Delhi -110001. Ph: +91-11-
23738760-70 (ext – 488).
Acknowledgements
The report has been prepared by the FICCI Water Mission Secretariat – Ashish
Bhardwaj and Romit Sen. We acknowledge the contribution of the companies who
sent their case studies. We also thank HSBC for their support in developing the
report.
FICCI - HSBC
Knowledge Initiative
Content
Foreword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Background Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2. Water Use in Chemical Industries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3. Effluent Generation and Minimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
4. Water Conservation Measures in Chemical Industries . . . . . . . . . 12
Case Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
i. Chemplast Sanmar Limited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
ii. Jubilant Life Sciences Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
iii. LANXESS India Pvt Ltd.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
iv. LANXESS India Pvt Ltd.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
v. Solvay Specialitites India Pvt. Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
vi. Tata Chemicals Limited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Water Management in
Chemical Industries 01
FICCI - HSBC
02 Knowledge Initiative
Foreword
The chemical industry is one of the most diversified industrial sectors. It covers
over 70,000 commercial products that provide critical inputs for many downstream
industries. This sector is one of the major water intensive industrial sectors,
requiring water for multiple processes.
A large portion of water used by the chemical industry is for return-flow

applications. This generates large quantities of effluents. Effluents produced by this
sector often contain organic and inorganic matter in varying concentration.
Treating the effluent to safe limits and disposal remains a major challenge for the
sector.
The approach to managing effluents has to focus on the 3R principles. It should be

imperative for companies to - replace the inefficient processes and hazardous
materials; reduce the water consumption, energy consumption and chemical usage
to the extent possible; and recycle/ reuse the treated effluent by adopting zero
liquid discharge.
However, an important pre-requisite will be to identify major water-using

processes and equipments at each production unit. This should lead to the
development of a complete water balance for the industry. A water balance will
help in identifying areas where water can be saved. Monitoring the water balance
at frequent intervals would help in implementation of water conservation practices.
Companies across the FICCI membership are realizing the need to reduce their
water footprint. There is a growing understanding on looking at water use in the
entire production cycle. This becomes significant considering the demand for
industrial water is set to rise. The water demand for the industrial sector will
account for 8.5 and 10.1 per cent of the total freshwater abstraction in 2025 and
2050 respectively. This is a 4 per cent rise from the current level of 6 per cent of
the total freshwater abstraction by industry in 2010.
The report Water Management in Chemical Industries is therefore important in

highlighting some of the best practices adopted by the industry in minimizing
freshwater intake, enhancing effluent treatment and reuse. An important aspect of
the case studies presented is the importance given to zero liquid discharge.
Naina Lal Kidwai

President, FICCI
Country Head HSBC India and Director HSBC Asia Pacific
Water Management in
Message
T
he chemical industry is critical for the economic development of any country
providing products and enabling technical solutions in virtually all sectors of
the economy.
Water is a key component in the chemical sector and is required for multiple
processes. The Indian chemical sector is growing rapidly and with the increase in
production, the water requirement would also increase. Availability of water can
become a limiting factor for the sector. There is a need to encourage technologies
which are water efficient to facilitate sustainable growth of the industry. Efforts to
conserve water, wastewater treatment and reuse need to be encouraged. FICCI
Chemical Committee has identified freshwater minimization and wastewater
treatment/ recycling as an important area of work for sustainable future.
The publication 'Water Management in Chemical Industries' is an attempt to

highlight the efforts of Indian chemical industries in the area of water
management. The case studies documented in the publication depict a variety of
measures various industries have undertaken. These range from desalination,
rainwater harvesting, wastewater treatment, and introduction of less water
intensive technology.
I hope that the publication will serve as a valuable resource and would enable
sharing of best practices within the chemical sector.
Deepak C Mehta
Chairman – FICCI Chemicals Committee
Vice Chairman and Managing Director
Deepak Nitrate Limited
FICCI - HSBC
Background Paper
Water Management in
FICCI - HSBC
Introduction
C
hemical industry contributes significantly in improving the quality of life
through breakthrough innovations like pure drinking water, reliable medical
treatment, stronger homes and greener fuels. The chemical industry is
critical for the economic development of any country, providing products and
enabling technical solutions in virtually all sectors of the economy. With the current
size of approximately US$108 billion, the Indian chemical industry accounts for
around 3 per cent of the global chemical industry1. In the base case scenario, with
current initiatives of industry and government, the Indian chemical industry is
expected to grow at 11 per cent per annum to reach size of US$224 billion by
20172.
The chemical industry is among the most diversified industrial sector, including
basic chemicals and its products, petrochemicals, fertilisers, paints, gases,
pharmaceuticals, dyes, etc. The sector covers over 70,000 commercial products,
and provides the building block for many downstream industries, such as finished
drugs, dyestuffs, paper, textiles, synthetic rubber, plastics, polyester, paints,
pesticides, fertilisers and detergents.
Based on a more functional classification, chemicals sector may be divided into

following sub segments:
1. Basic organic chemicals: Organic chemical segment is one of the most

significant sectors of the chemical industry. It plays a vital developmental role
by providing chemicals and intermediates as inputs to other sectors of the
industry. Methanol, acetic acid, formaldehyde, pyridines, phenol, alkyl amines,
ethyl acetate and acetic anhydride are the major organic chemicals produced
in India.
2. Speciality chemicals: Speciality chemicals are defined as a group of

relatively high value, low volume chemicals known for their end use
applications and/ or performance enhancing properties. Speciality chemicals
include paints and coatings, speciality polymers, plastic additives, textiles
chemicals, flavours and fragrances, cosmetic chemicals, rubber chemicals etc.
3. Chlor Alkali: The chlor alkali industry is the oldest and largest segment of the
inorganic chemical industry. It comprises of caustic soda, liquid chlorine and
soda ash.
4. Pesticides: Pesticides industry has developed substantially and has

contributed significantly towards developing India's agriculture and public
health. In value terms, the size of the Indian pesticide industry is US$3.8
billion in the year 20112. India is a predominant exporter of pesticides to
United State of America (USA), Europe and African countries.
Water Management in
5. Dyestuffs: Indian colorants industry is estimated to be at US$3.4 billion in
financial year 2010 with exports accounting for 68 per cent2. In the XI Five
Year Plan, the dyes industry witnessed a growth of 9.5 per cent. The current
overall production capacity of dyestuffs is 200,000 tonne per annum and that
of pigments is 150,000 tonne per annum2. India has emerged as the exporter
of dyestuffs and intermediates, particularly in reactive, acid, direct and VAT
dyes and some key intermediates. The basic raw materials used for the
manufacture of dyestuffs are benzene, toluene, xylene and naphthalene
(BTXN). Driven by robust exports growth, the Indian colorants industry has set
a target to grow from the present US$3.4 billion to US$7.5 billion by 2017. The
targets imply that the industry must grow at a rate of 12 per cent per annum
over the XII plan period2.
6. Alcohol based chemicals: Alcohol is a key feedstock for the manufacture of

basic chemicals. Alcohol based chemical industry occupies an important place
in the Indian chemical industry and is a key contributor to the growth of the
sector. The current size of alcohol based chemical industry is US$1.1 billion2.
Industrial alcohol in India is produced from sugarcane molasses. A large
number of alcohol based products are manufactured in India. Some of the
important alcohol based chemicals are acetic acid, acetic anhydride,
acetaldehyde, ethylene glycol, glyoxal, pyridine/ picoline, pentaerythritol,
ethylene oxide derivatives etc.
FICCI - HSBC
Water Use in
Chemical Industries
W ater is a key raw material for the chemical sector. Unlike other industrial
sectors, the chemical industry is characterized by a wide variety of
products and processes. Hundreds of different chemicals are produced,
and there can be several routes for manufacture of a given product, so the water
use for a particular product might vary significantly across companies. The largest
use of water in the chemical industry is for cooling, with steam (e.g., heating and
autoclaving) and process water (for mixing, dilution, reactants, wash, or rinse
water) being the other significant uses. Chemical facilities are made up of varying
combinations of these unit processes and water flows between the processes.
Historical data on distribution of water use at the facility level is not available.
However, it is estimated that process cooling, process dilution, and steam
production represent the most significant water uses at chemical facilities.
Broadly classified, water can be used as process water, process support water and
plant services water in any industry. Some of the common uses of water in a
chemical plant are indicated below:
Dilution: Dilution is the process of reducing the concentration of a solute in

solution, simply by mixing with more solvent. For example, if there are 10 grams
of salt (the solute) dissolved in 1 litre of water (the solvent), this solution has a
certain salt concentration. If one wants to reduce its concentration by 50 per cent,
one would have to add 1 litre of more water to this solution. The diluted solution
would contain the same 10 grams of salt but with reduced concentration. In many
chemical processes water is used as a solvent to reduce the concentration of
solute in the solution.
Dissolution: The process of dissolution occurs when a solute is placed in contact

with a solvent and it dissolves to form a solution. Water is used as a solvent for
making solution of chemicals. The chemicals change their state from solid or gas
to liquid when comes in contact with water.
Cooling: Water is used in process cooling (i.e. direct heating and cooling of
chemical reactions) as well as cooling of the plant (i.e. in cooling tower). Chemical
industries usually have very large comfort-cooling (reducing air temperature of
building for comfort or process control) and process loads. Industries often use
100 per cent outside air for ventilation. This makes their comfort cooling loads
higher than those of most other industries. Additional cooling is often needed for
special equipment such as lasers and electron microscopes. Around 30 to 60 of all
the water used in chemical industries is for cooling3.
Glassware washing and rinsing: Water is used in washing and rinsing of

laboratory glassware and equipments. The water required for glassware and
equipments washing and rinsing is purified water or distill water. In some cases, a
Water Management in
solvent is also used for cleaning purpose. Some specific types of equipments like
water-disinfectants require special quality of water that depends on the
equipment.
Steam generation: Water is used in generating steam for various chemical

processes (e.g. in autoclaving). Only distilled water is recommended for generating
steam. Water is integral to the function of an autoclave. For this reason, it is very
important to use only distilled water or water that has been treated for use in a
sterilizer (typically, de-ionized water).
Service Water: Water is used for maintenance and plant wash-up activities,
flushing, hand washing etc. in the plant and for safety related activities like fire
fighting, deluge system etc. The service water is generally groundwater or
municipal supply water. Some industries also recycle treated wastewater for use as
service water.
Potable Water: Water is used for drinking water for the employees in plant.
Groundwater or municipal water or mineral water is generally used as potable
water.
The various processes in the worldwide chemical industry have the capacity to use
over 100 trillion gallons of water annually3. Although there are some consumptive
uses, such as water in the product and evaporative losses, most water used by the
chemical industry is for return-flow applications. In fact, most of the water is used
as non-contact cooling water, without contacting the chemical being produced. The
exact quantity of water that is consumptive is unknown. However, it is estimated
that less than 5 per cent of water used is incorporated into final products in the
chemical industry1.
Out of all the segments of chemical industries, dyestuffs use the maximum amount
of water as water is an important component in the manufacturing of colorants. On
an average about 50,000 litres of water is required to process one tonne of
colorant. The estimated water requirement to meet target of XII Five Year Plan (to
reach US$7.5 billion by 2017) would be around 150 million litres per day1. The
exact quantity of water requirement for other segments is still unknown.
Industries need to come forward for water disclosure so that a database could be
prepared which would help in benchmarking water consumption in various
processes.
FICCI - HSBC
Effluent Generation
and Minimization
W ater is mainly used as a media in chemical manufacturing processes.

Most of water used by the chemical industry is for return-flow
applications which results in large quantity of effluent generation.
Effluent becomes a major concern for chemical industries. The effluents produced
by this sector often contain organic and inorganic matters in varying
concentration.
Many materials in the chemical industry are toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic or
non-biodegradable. Surfactant, emulsifiers and petroleum hydrocarbons that are
being used in chemical industry reduce performance efficiency of many treatment
operations. The best strategy for treatment of toxic industrial wastewater is to
segregate the waste chemicals/ solvents at the source and by applying onsite
treatment within the production lines with recycling of treated effluent.
Effluent minimization
Effluent minimization coupled with recycling is a very effective strategy to
conserve water and solve the wastewater problem. Effluent minimization implies
the reduction of quantity and quality of effluent at source by resources (raw
material, water, energy etc.) conservation and the promotion of re-use/recycle.
For example solvent recovery is an important means by which both the quantity
and quality of the effluent can be
improved. Solvents which cannot be
recovered at source should be
segregated and sent to authorized Zero
vendors for recycling/ reuse. liquid
discharge
The effluent can be minimized by
adopting the three 'R' principles i.e.
replace the inefficient processes and Recycle / Re-use
hazardous materials, reduce the
water consumption, energy Reduce - Water usage,
consumption and chemical usage to chemical usage, energy usage
the extent possible and recycle/
reuse of the treated effluent and
finally by adopting zero liquid Replace - Inefficient proesses,
Hazardous materials etc.
discharge.
Water Management in
Water Conservation Measures
in Chemical Industry
C
n reating a water balance: The first step is to document all major
water-using equipments and processes at the site with usage amounts
and prepare a complete water balance for the industry. It would help in
identifying the possible areas where water can be saved. Monitoring the water
balance on frequent intervals would help in implementating water conservation
practices.
nIncreasing Cycles of Concentrations (COC): Cooling towers use water in

three ways: evaporation, drift, and bleed-off or blow-down. A huge amount of
loss occurs in the cooling tower in the form of evaporation, drift and blow-down
loss. Make up water is provided to compensate for these losses. Since the
water is circulated many times in the close loop, the concentration of dissolved
solids in the circulating water increases over a period of time which decreases
the cooling efficiency of the tower. Thus, water is intentionally wasted and
make up water is use to compensate the loss in order to reduce the
concentration of dissolved solids. The cycle of concentration (COC) is the ratio
of dissolved solids in the circulating water to the make-up water. Cooling
towers are normally designed for a COC of around 5. By increasing COC, the
blow down water can be reduced4.
The best way to increase the cycles of concentration is through better

monitoring and management of the water chemistry. The first step is to
understand the quality of the incoming water and what the controlling
parameter should be, such as hardness, silica, or total dissolved solids. There
will be a relationship between these parameters and conductivity, based on the
water chemistry specific to a site. This relationship can help to establish a
conductivity set point. The conductivity controller opens a blow-down valve as
needed to maintain your control parameter within acceptable limits. Special
features of towers and water systems that promote water efficiency include
side-stream filtration, sunlight covers, alternative water treatment systems,
and automated chemical feed systems.
nUse of blow-down water or reverse osmosis (RO) rejects: The blow-

down water from cooling tower and/ or the RO rejects can be used as service
water in flushing and/ or as firefighting water. It can significantly reduce the
amount of fresh water intake.
nEquipment cooling: Single-pass cooling typically consumes more water than

any other cooling method in a chemical industry. In single-pass or once-
through cooling systems, water is circulated once through a piece of
equipment and then discharged in to the sewer. Single-pass systems use
approximately 40 times more water than a cooling tower operating at 5 cycles
of concentration to remove the same heat load3. The best way to combat the
FICCI - HSBC
water waste associated with single-pass cooling is to use a process or cooling
loop. This loop provides water at a preset temperature to cool equipment. A
small packaged chiller or central plant towers can reject the heat from these
systems.
nReducing leaks and over flows: Leakages from valves, taps, fire fighting
hoses, underground fire fighting lines, cooling towers, gardening hoses account
for huge amount of water loss. There lies a possibility of reducing the water
consumption by plugging the leakages.
nScale-down approach: The chemical process optimization can be achieved by

scale-down approach wherever possible. It would not only save resources but
also lead to significant amount of water savings.
nEquipment rinsing: There is a significant opportunity to save water in rinsing

process. A counter-current rinsing operation can result in significant saving of
water. In counter-current rinsing, the flow of rinse water is opposite to that of
the workflow.
nFlow control: Many equipments in a chemical industry remains 'on'

continuously, even when the process runs only a few hours per day or a few
days per year and water is continuously flowing to some of these equipments.
Using a control or solenoid valve in these applications allows water to flow only
when the unit is being used. Another option is to use shut-off valves or timers
to turn equipment off after normal working hours and when a process is shut
down for maintenance or other reasons. This can result in significant amount of
water as well as energy saving.
nWastewater recycling: Studies have shown that water is mainly used as a

media in chemical processes resulting in high amount of wastewater/ effluent
generation. There is huge opportunity of recycling/ reuse of wastewater/
effluent after necessary cost effective treatment. It will not only reduce the
intake of freshwater but also help in reduction of contamination of nearby
freshwater resources.
nUse of treated municipal wastewater: Reclaimed wastewater is an option

in limited circumstances, when an industry has access to municipal wastewater
that has been treated to a secondary disinfection level. Reclaimed wastewater
can be use for some non-potable applications, such as service water, fire
fighting water, and cooling tower make-up etc.
1.
Water Use in Industries of the Future, CH2M HILL report, July 2003
2.
Indian chemical industry - XIIth five year plan -
http://planningcommission.gov.in/aboutus/committee/wrkgrp12/wg_chem0203.pdf last
accessed on August 10, 2013
3.
Labs for the 21st Century, 'Water Efficiency Guides for Laboratories by EPA and US
department of Energy' - http://www.i2sl.org/documents/toolkit/bp_water_508.pdf last
accessed on August 21, 2013
4.
Sen R., Water Use and Efficiency in Thermal Power Plants', FICCI-HSBC knowledge
Initiative, August 2012, New Delhi.
Water Management in
FICCI - HSBC
Case Studies
Water Management in
Organisation:
Chemplast Sanmar Limited
Location: Raman Nagar, Mettur Dam, District-Salem, Tamil Nadu
Types of chemicals and production capacity of the plant:
Chemicals Production capacity (MT)

(2011-12)
Refrigerant Gas HCFC 22 1,663.2 MT
PVC including manufacturing of intermediate
raw material Vinyl chloride (VCM) 6,600 MT
Caustic 48,048 MT
Chlorine 42,570 MT
Chloromethane 33,580 MT
Water consumption:
Water consumption (m3) Specific water consumption

Source of
Chemicals (m3/unit of production)
Water
2009-2010 2010-11 2011-12 2009-2010 2010-11 2011-12
Refrigerant Gas 23,230 26,433 25,531 58.2 58.8 58.5
HCFC 22
PVC including Surface
manufacturing of water
intermediate raw 5,06,252 4,36,243 4,52,574 16.59 14.92 15.13 (Stanley
material Vinyl reservoir)
chloride (VCM)
Caustic
Chlorine 1,59,432 2,45,503 1,50,873 2.03 2.45 2.40
Chloromethane 3.68 3.6 3.60
FICCI - HSBC
Water conservation measures:
nReuse of polymer effluent to cooling tower saving 14,600 m3 of water annually.
nTreated effluent use for dust suppression at coal storage of power plant saving
5,840 m3 of water annually.
nUse of dilute acid stream from the incinerator to enrich the salable acid saving
13,840 m3 of water annually.
nUse of Alkali portion of demineralization (DM) plant regeneration stream for

brine preparation saving 5,185 m3 of water annually.
nUse of part of treated sewage water to cooling tower saving 44,895 m3 of water
annually.
nReuse of strong base anion (SBA)/ weak base anion (WBA) rinse water to
cooling tower saving 2,800 m3 of water annually.
nInstallation of Air Cooled Condenser (ACC) for cooling tower for coal based
power plant saving 3,000 m3 of water daily.
Air cooled condenser Rainwater harvesting pit
Wastewater generation and treatment:

Total wastewater/ effluent generated during the year 2011-12 was 3,70,870 m3
from all the three plants. All of which is treated and 100 per cent of the treated
effluent is recycled back to industrial processes. Effluent treatment plant (ETP)
treated water is mixed in equalization tank and further treated by clarifiers, filters,
softeners and High Efficiency Reverse Osmosis (HERO) unit. The process is unique
in nature as the entire wastewater is converted in to the sodium salts through an
exhaustive pre-treatment process.
Water Management in
Effluent reduction measures undertaken in the plant:
1. Removal of Ferric chloride along with few hundred ppm of acidity from crude
Ethylene Dichloride (EDC) was done earlier with conventional static mixture
resulting in equal volume of water washings with that of EDC. This system has
been modified for effective mixing by adding wash water at pump suction
instead of pump discharge, resulted only 0.35 KL of water/ KL of EDC - a
reduction of 180 KL /day of effluent generation in the EDC washing area.
2. Oxy acidic effluent having organics is processed through distillation column to

remove organics and reused for acid absorption to 30 per cent salable
commercial HCL acid - a reduction of 40 KL/day of high TDS effluent.
3. Neutralization of acidic effluent generated during power failure at the acid area
of PVC plant is eliminated by the installation of UPS to run the absorber feed
water pump. Acidic effluent generated during the start-up and shutdown
operation is used for acid make-up after removal of organics through
distillation column. These two initiatives cumulatively resulted in reduction of
140 KL of effluent/day.
4. A new polymer effluent treatment system was implemented to remove PVC

particles from process water and the recovered water is reused in the cooling
tower. This resulted approximately 400 KL /day of water savings.
5. Alkaline portion of the ion-exchange column of the regeneration effluent of

caustic soda membrane plant and demineralised (DM) water regeneration
effluent are being used for brine preparation plant resulting in reduction of 40
KL /day of effluent.
6. Recycle of the lean effluent stream generated from the cooling tower blow
down is recycled to the scrubber as an acid absorption media in refrigerant
plant to become a "zero discharge" plant.
FICCI - HSBC
Volume of water and cost saved
Year of Annual water Annual cost saved

Measures undertaken
implementation saved (m3) (INR in Lakhs)
Reuse of polymer effluent to
cooling tower 2010 14,600 2.08
Treated effluent used for dust suppression
at coal storage of power plant 2010 5,840 0.82
Usage of part of ZLD reject for lime
preparation for chlorine absorption 2010 9,380 1.28
Usage of dilute acid stream from the
incinerator to enrich to salable acid 2010 13,840 1.95
Usage of alkali portion of DM plant
regeneration stream for Brine preparation 2010 5,185 0.75
Usage of part of treated sewage water
to cooling tower 2010 44,895 6.35
Reuse of SBA/WBA rinse water
to cooling tower 2011 2,800 0.41
Usage of activated carbon filter (ACF)
outlet water for chemicals (lime & soda ash) 2012 7,300 1.06
makeup at ZLD
Company profile:
Chemplast Sanmar is the flagship company of The Sanmar Group. The Company is
a major manufacturer of PVC resins, Caustic Soda, Chlorochemicals, Refrigerant
gas and Industrial Salt. The manufacturing facilities are located at Mettur,
Cuddalore, Panruti and Vedaranyam in Tamil Nadu and Karaikal in the Union
Territory of Puducherry. At Chemplast, integration – forward and backward – is the
key. The basic feedstock for its PVC plant at Mettur, alcohol and chlorine, comes
from its industrial alcohol plant at Panruti and chlor-alkali facilities at Mettur and
Karaikal.
Chemplast has played a pioneering role in the field through its ingenious choice of
feedstock and manufacturing processes, and efficient, eco-friendly practices. Its
constant development of environment-friendly production processes has reduced
the consumption of valuable natural resources including water.
Contact Person
Mr. S. Venkatesan
Chief Executive - Operations
Email: sv6@sanmargroup.com
Water Management in
Organisation:
Jubilant Life Sciences Ltd.
Location: Bhartiyagram, Gajraula, District – Jyotiba Phule Nagar, Uttar Pradesh
Product Quantity Unit Product Quantity Unit

Ethyl alcohol 1,14,800 KBL 3-Cyanopyridine 4,200 MT
Acetaldehyde 1,08,330 MT Fine chemicals 5,128 MT
Acetic anhydride 33,000 MT Formaldehyde 1,56,750 MT
Ethyl acetate 46,200 MT Biogas 561 LNM³
Carbon dioxide 37,620 MT Steam 24,00,240 MT
Pyridine & Picoline 52,000 MT Power 3,67,920 MT
Water consumption:
Chemicals Water consumption (m3) Specific water consumption Source of

(m3/unit of production) Water
2009-2010 2010-11 2011-12 2009-2010 2010-11 2011-12
Ethyl alcohol 19,404 15,723 1,77,671 5.2 5.18 5.02
Acetaldehyde 1,71,959 1,73,028 1,75,113 3.15 3.11 3.08
Acetic anhydride 1,91,822 1,84,320 1,57,660 6.7 6.60 6.02
Ethyl acetate 1,57,174 1,51,992 1,89,011 5.2 5.19 5.05
Carbon dioxide 15,336 6,380 1,26,255 12.78 12.76 12.59 Ground
Pyridine & Picoline 7,51,976 6,72,538 7,34,889 20.38 19.86 17.72 water
3-Cyanopyridine 88,264 77,785 1,20,713 37.4 37.34 36.25

Fine chemicals 2,23,270 2,10,740 1,52,937 128.1 127.9 106.09
Formaldehyde 79,295 95,491 71,589 1.0 0.99 0.75
Biogas* 468 0 3,280 26.15 0 20.0
Steam 12,41,513 11,93,476 12,87,998 0.865 0.864 0.855
Power 1,50,704 1,52,320 1,37,101 1.1 1.1 0.90
* Biogas was not in use in 2010-11
FICCI - HSBC
nOptimising Cycle of Concentration (COC) of cooling towers saving 1,05,000 m3
of water annually.
nRecycling of steam condensate after heat recovery as a substitute of soft water

saving 4,93,092 m3 of water annually.
nReverse Osmosis (RO) permeate is recycled in distillery for molasses dilution.
nSlop Fired Boiler condensate is recycled back to the distillery for molasses
dilution.
nInstallation of Cooling Tower-Reverse Osmosis (CT-RO) plant to treat cooling

tower blow down water saving 1,54,576 m3 of water annually. CT-RO permeate
is used for cooling tower make up.
nThe treated water from Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) and Sewage
Treatment Plant (STP) is used for horticulture purpose.
nRecycling of RO permeates & CO2 scrubbing water for molasses dilution.
nMulti Effect Evaporator condensate is recycled in cooling tower make up.
nRainwater harvesting of 2,91,550 m3 annually through rainwater harvesting

ponds since 2008.

Total wastewater/ effluent generated during the year 2011-12 was 10,69,318 m3
all of which is treated. Approximately 40 per cent of the treated water is recycled
back into the industrial process and rest is used for horticulture purpose thus
maintaining zero water discharge. The various wastewater treatment measures
employed in the plant are:
nCommon effluent treatment plant for treatment of industrial effluent.
nSewage treatment plant for treatment of domestic water.
nBiogas plant for generation of biogas from distillery effluent (Spent wash).
nReverse osmosis for treatment of Bio-methanated effluent of Biogas plant.
nCooling Tower-Reverse Osmosis (CT-RO) for treatment of cooling tower blow

down
nSlope Fired Boiler for treatment of distillery waste (Spent wash)
nMulti-Effect Evaporation (MEE) for treatment of pyridine plant effluent.
Water Management in
Slop Fired Boiler Incinerator and Multi-Effect Evaporator
Distillery water management (technology advancement)

Conventional Technology Advanced Technology
Bio-gas, RO & Bio-compost. MEE & Slop Fired Boiler
Low recovery (50 per cent) High recovery (83 per cent)
3
Cost of operation (-) 42 Rs/ m Cost of operation 158 Rs/ m3
Cost of investment (Rs 180 crore) Cost of investment (Rs 60 crore)
Investment Rs 1.0 crore/ KBLD of Alcohol. Investment Rs 0.5 crore/ KBLD of
Alcohol.
Jubilant Life Sciences has been maintaining zero discharge liquid since November
2005 visibly demonstrating its commitment. To maintain this status, new
technologies have been adopted to increase water recovery, despite high operating
cost. Jubilant Life Sciences has invested Rs. 165 crores in its effluent treatment
facility and also been spending around Rs. 49.2 crores per annum towards
operating cost.
Volume of water and cost saved
Measures undertaken Year of Annual water Annual cost saved

Optimization of COC of cooling towers 2005 1,05,000 0.51
Recycling of steam condensate after heat
recovery as a substitute of soft water 2010 4,93,092 0.72
Rain water harvesting 2008 2,91,550 0.43
Installation of Multi-Effect evaporators (2nos)
MEE-1 2008 4,21,862 0.62
MEE-2 2009
Slop Fired Boiler 2009 70,204 0.10
RO (2nos)
1st 2005 1,41,712 0.21
2nd 2008
Installation of Cooling Tower-Reverse
Osmosis (CT-RO) plant to treat cooling 2008 1,54,576 0.23
tower blow down water
FICCI - HSBC
Company profile:
Jubilant Life Sciences Limited is an integrated Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences
company. Jubilant is the largest Custom Research and Manufacturing Services
(CRAMS) company and one of the leading Drug Discovery and Development
Services (DDDS) companies of India. The Company's strategic focus is to innovate,
collaborate and accelerate the process of delivering products to the market for its
customers which has resulted in Jubilant being successfully positioned as an
outsourcing partner of choice. The Company through its presence in India, USA,
Canada, Europe and China constantly serves its customers spread across 98
countries.
Jubilant believes that long-term sustainability can be achieved by good

performance in the social, environmental and financial areas. The concept of
'sustainability' has been built on the foundation of company's promise i.e. caring
for environment, sharing the economic value and growing with all stakeholders.
Contact Person
Dr. Shailendra Pratap Singh
GM & Head – Quality Control Department
Email: shailendra_singh@jubl.com
Water Management in
Organisation:
LANXESS India Pvt. Ltd.
Location: Jhagadia, District - Bharuch, Gujarat
LANXESS is a multiproduct manufacturing facility. The plant at Jhagadia

manufactures liquid purification technologies, rubber chemicals, high performance
materials, material protection products and additives and release agents.
Water consumption:
Annual water Production capacity Specific water Source of

Year consumption (m3) of the plant (MT) consumption (m3/MT) Water
2010-11 83,836 2,899 47.97

GIDC
2011-12 2,64,864 9,352 33.71 (Surface
water)
2012-13 3,43,384 16,660 21.41
GIDC - Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation
Note: Boiler water has not been included. This data is only for process water
consumption at the site.
Water conservation measures undertaken:
1. Sewage treatment plant: Installation of 100 m3 capacity sewage treatment

plant (STP) in 2013 for the treatment of sewage water generated in the plant.
The treated sewage is further recycled and utilized for the purpose of
gardening.
2. Sprinkler system for gardening: Installation of sprinklers in the green

fields at site helped in saving of water.
3. Self-closing taps: Installation of self-closing taps throughout the site has

reduced the wastage of water due to open taps and resulted in significant
water saving.
FICCI - HSBC
Volume of water and costs saved
Measure undertaken Annual water saved (m3) Annual costs saved (INR)
Sewage treatment plant 18,250 41,063
Sprinkler system for gardening 9,902 22,280
Self-closing taps 2,475 5,570
Total 30,627 48,913
Wastewater generated and treatment:

Total wastewater (effluent) generated from 2009 to 2013 is 12,78,874 m3 from
both process and boiler.
Future plans:
1. Reduction of specific water consumption by process improvement and recycling
in the process.
2. Rain Water Harvesting – There is a potential for use of rainwater during

monsoon to further decrease the water consumption.
Contact person
Mr. Namitesh Roychoudhary

Vice President- IEA & Capital Investment
Email: n.roychoudhary@lanxess.com
Water Management in
Organisation:
LANXESS India Pvt. Ltd.
Location: Nagda, District - Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
The LANXESS Advanced Industrial Intermediates Business Unit manufactures

specialty chemicals that serve a wide range of application segments such as
Agrochemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Dyestuff, Flavors & Fragrances and Coatings.
The major products are Benzyl Chloride, Benzotrichloride, Benzyl Alcohol,

Benzaldehyde, Benzyl Acetate, Cinnamic Aldehyde, Benzyl Benzoate, Thionyl
Chloride, Sulphuryl Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Sulphur Dichloride and Black
Pigment.
Water consumption:
Year Industrial cooling Domestic water Process water Water to cogen Total water
water (m3) (m3) (m3) and boiler process
consumption (m3) (m3)
2010-2011 93,291 - Fresh 9,366 - Fresh 18,777 - Fresh 2,28,551 - Fresh 7,01,607
2,51,622 - Treated
Sewage
2011-2012 1,02,261 - Fresh - 17,995 - Fresh 13,518 - Fresh 3,25,744 - Fresh 9,30,533
4,71,016 Treated
Sewage
2012-2013 1,12,273 - Fresh 28,107 - Fresh 14,830 - Fresh 3,72,654 - Fresh 1,032,598
5,04,735 - Treated
Sewage
Specific water consumption:

Name of Product Specific consumption in m3/ MT
2010 - 2011 2011- 2012 2012 - 2013
Benzyl chloride 1.04 1.03 1.03
Benzal chloride 1.54 1.54 1.54
Benzaldehyde 2.34 2.35 2.36
Sodium benzoate 2.38 2.37 2.38
Benzyl alcohol 3.63 3.64 3.64
FICCI - HSBC
One of the noteworthy projects at this site is in the area of wastewater treatment.
This is a region where water is rather scarce both for the residential areas and for
the industries especially in the summer months. As a result, consistent efforts have
been made to improve water utilization in the plant. Sewage water treatment plant
has been installed to treat sewage water from the colonies and the treated sewage
water is use in the production processes.
A wastewater post treatment - reverse osmosis (WWPT-RO) plant was installed in

November 2012 with an investment of nearly INR 35 crores to treat the discharge
of existing effluent treatment plant (ETP) in a manner that no liquid effluents are
discharged from the site. The water from RO plant is used in the production
processes, which has further bridged the gap in availability of water during the
summer months.

Total wastewater/ effluent generated during the year 2012-13 was 48,242 m3. All
of which is treated in ETP. Approx 16 per cent of the treated effluent is used in
gardening inside plant while 50 per cent is discharged. The rest 34 per cent is sent
to wastewater post treatment - reverse osmosis (WWPT-RO) system and after
further treatment, recycled back to industrial processes. ETP treated water is mixed
in equalization tank and further treated by clarifiers, filters, softeners and High
Efficiency Reverse Osmosis (HERO) unit.
The process is unique in nature as the entire wastewater is converted in to the

sodium salts through an exhaustive pre-treatment process. Wastewater post
treatment (WWPT) includes evaporation plant, reverse osmosis plant, effluent
treatment plant and sewage treatment plant including demineralised water storage.
nSewage treatment plant, existing RO and demineralised water storage:

Sewage water from the colonies is treated in the sewage treatment plant. A
part of this treated water is used in the processes. The balance treated sewage
is taken through the existing RO and demineralised water plant and stored in
tanks. This is then used for cogen boiler feed water.
nEffluent treatment plant (ETP): Process wastewater from all the production
plants is fed to this existing but revamped and modernized effluent treatment
plant. This plant biologically treats these wastewater streams to comply with
environmental norms. Prior to installation of the wastewater post treatment
facility, this treated wastewater from the ETP was discharged into the river.
nNew R.O. plant: Earlier, all wastewater streams were sent to the ETP.
Consequent to a detailed analysis followed by lab trials and pilot runs using
water samples from different sources, the influents to the reverse osmosis
process were separated into three categories namely - treated effluent from
process, effluent from cooling tower blow down and reject from existing reverse
osmosis plant.
Water Management in
There are 2 RO units in this plant. The first RO unit is fed with the cooling
tower blowdown and existing RO reject. The permeate from this 1st RO unit is
re-used in the production processes. The reject from this RO unit is blended
with the treated wastewater from the ETP and fed to the 2nd RO unit. The
permeate from the 2nd RO unit is again used back in the production processes.
The reject from the 2nd RO unit is fed to the evaporation unit of the new WWPT
facility. This evaporation unit is one of its kind and using state of the art
materials and technology from one of the reputed global industrial house.
nEvaporator plant: Reject from the new wastewater post treatment - reverse
osmosis (RO) plant is fed to the evaporator. The recovered water from the
evaporator is used back in the production processes.
Water Management Flow- Nagda

Waste water
Salt ETP
Post Treatment
Process
waste water
Recycle
Water
CT blow-down, RO reject
Cooling tower
evaporation losses
Fresh water (Grasim) Others (Gardening/Domestic uses)

Nagda Plant
Sewage water from colony Aqueous HCl (sale)
Steam from Grasim

steam
Losses
condensate recycle
condensate recycle to cooling towers
Company profile:
LANXESS India was incorporated in India on February 20, 2004, and was named
as LANXESS India Private Limited on June 30, 2004. LANXESS India Private
Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of LANXESS Deutschland GmbH is represented
through all its fourteen business units, operating out of its registered office in
Thane and sales offices in New Delhi and Chennai with 971 employees across its
operations. The company also has manufacturing facilities in India for six of its
business units. The manufacturing sites are located in Nagda in Madhya Pradesh
and Jhagadia in Gujarat. Production facilities for business units Rubber Chemicals,
Liquid Purification Technologies, High Performance Materials (high tech plastics),
Material Protection Products and Rhein Chemie (polymer bound rubber chemicals,
FICCI - HSBC
additives and release agents) are operational in Jhagadia while that of Advanced
Industrial Intermediates has a production facility in Nagda. LANXESS also operates
a technical centre for Rubber Chemicals in Thane.
In all its activities around the world, LANXESS subscribes to the principle of
sustainable development. The company's goal is to bring in line economic,
ecological and social aspects within its corporate strategy. LANXESS is a member
of the leading sustainable indices Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) World,
FTSE4Good and the Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI).
Contact person
Mr. Namitesh Roychoudhary
Vice President- IEA & Capital Investment
Email: n.roychoudhary@lanxess.com
Water Management in
Organisation:
Solvay Specialitites India Pvt. Ltd.
Location: Panoli, District - Bharuch, Gujarat
Types of chemicals:
Category Chemicals
Poly Ether Sulphone (PESU)

Speciality polymers
Poly Ether Ether Ketone (PEEK)
Di Chloro Di Phenyl Sulphone (DCDPS)

Monomers
Di Hydroxy Di Phenyl Sulphone (DHDPS)
Water consumption:
Year Annual water consumption (m3) Source of water
2009-10 28208 GIDC (Surface Water)
2010-11 50277
2011-12 36438
GIDC + Ground water
2012-13 49992
GIDC - Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation

Various steps have been initiated for water conservation. Primary among them are
the following two projects which involve innovative ways to re-use/ recycle water:
v
Ground water remediation (Project ACQUA) - When Solvay acquired the
polymer division; various site surveys were conducted in consistent with
Solvay global commitment on operating its manufacturing sites with utmost
environmental care. Even though fully compliant with the local regulatory
requirements, Solvay had voluntarily implemented a water remediation unit
with the permission of State Pollution Control Board to treat the historical
contamination of the underground water. It is the first of its kind approval
provided by the Gujarat Government to an industrial enterprise.
FICCI - HSBC
The method adopted for treatment was hydraulic containment. Under this
scheme, on an average 240-250 m3/day is being pumped from underground.
This water is treated to such an extent that it meets stringent water quality
requirements such as boiler feed water. The hydraulic containment system
comprises of the following:
1. Installation of wells and abstraction of water from the wells,
2. Ex-situ remediation of groundwater - Air stripper followed by reverse

osmosis (RO) system.
nThe volatile organic matter in abstracted water is removed in air stripper.
nThe organic free water is then fed to RO to reduce the dissolved solids.
nThe permeate from RO is recycled back in to the process including

application such as boiler feed water.
nThe ratio of permeate water to reject water is around 80:20.
nThe volatile organic matter from air stripper is adsorbed in activated

carbon bed.
nThe reject from RO is transferred to conventional effluent treatment plant.
The system runs round the clock and is operating successfully since last 23
months. Solvay is committed to run it consistently in the future.
v
Waste minimization (Project RIPPLE) - In continuation to the sustainable
commitment, Solvay has installed a world class innovative wastewater
minimization plant, a first of its kind among all global operating industrial
Solvay sites. This is used for the purpose of treating the final effluent to make
it fit for re-use.
The technical scope included an upgrade of the existing Effluent Treatment Unit
(ETU), Hardness Abatement Unit (HAU), Reverse Osmosis (RO) units and
Multiple Effect Evaporator (MEE). With successful implementation the site re-
uses up to around 80 per cent of wastewater generated from the plant.
nUpgrade of effluent treatment unit for treating COD and BOD -

Additional equalisation tank, biodek, clarifiers etc were installed. In
addition, automation of chemical oxidation system was taken up.
nHardness abatement unit (HAU) - This unit reduces the hardness of

feed water (Ca & Mg hardness). As otherwise, this could lead to problems
in RO membranes and MEE.
nReverse osmosis (RO) units - The clarified softened stream is processed

after pH adjustment through a RO system. Permeate of sufficient quality is
recovered and recycled as cooling tower make-up water.
Water Management in
nMultiple effects evaporator (MEE) and polishing RO - RO reject
containing up to 50 per cent dissolved solids is further concentrated by
evaporation. A three stage MEE is used to recover useable water from
reject of RO. Recovered condensate water is then fed to polishing RO for
recycle. Concentrated stream is dewatered in a centrifuge and sludge is
sent for land fill.
Reverse osmosis plant Multi effect evaporator
These systems are being operated successfully for the last 12 months. The quality
of the treated water is very good even to be recycled as boiler feed water. The
benefits realized through this project are:
nReduced impact on receiving body of effluent,
n40 per cent water savings.
This project was adjudged the “Best Design Project” in the 2012 International
Water Association (IWA) Project Innovation awards held for Europe and West Asia.
Measure undertaken Year of Annual water Costs saved

Groundwater remediation
( ACQUA project) 2011 1,20,000 24
Waste minimization program

implementation (RIPPLE project)
Reverse osmosis project (RO) 2012 72,000 14.5
Multi effect evaporator (MEE)
Total 1,92,000 38.5
FICCI - HSBC
Replicability of the measures undertaken:
With this unit, Solvay presents a real sustainable development and provides a nice
opportunity for replication in other sites because of the following reasons:
n100 per cent legal compliance confidence:
The treated effluent discharge through this method consistently meets all
the laid down parameters by Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB). The
quantity is also within the specified limit by GPCB.
nSustainable development:
As a result of re-use of treated effluent water, fresh water intake reduces

drastically and effluent streams are effectively treated to considerably
reduce its impact on the receiving body.
Future plans:
nAs more experience is gained in operating these systems, optimization of
operation will be done to derive further benefits.
nThese projects provide a sustainable way of development applicability. Thus

addition to this, other locations of Solvay will be considered for such initiatives.
Company profile:
As an international chemical group, SOLVAY assists industries in finding and
implementing ever more responsible and value-creating solutions. The Group is
firmly committed to sustainable development and focused on innovation and
operational excellence. Solvay serves diversified markets, generating 90 per cent
of its turnover in activities where it is one of the top three worldwide. The group is
headquartered in Brussels, employs about 29,000 people in 55 countries with net
sales of 12.4 billion euros in 2012.
Solvay Specialities India Private Limited (SSIPL) is a 100 per cent subsidiary of
Solvay Group incorporated in 2005. It enhanced its India presence through
acquisition of polymer business of Gharda Chemicals in the year 2006. The
manufacturing unit is located in Panoli, Gujarat and the unit manufactures range of
specialty polymers like Poly Ether Sulphone (PESU), Poly Ether Ether Ketone
(PEEK), captive products Di Chloro Di Phenyl Sulphone (DCDPS) and Di Hydroxy Di
Phenyl Sulphone (DHDPS).
Solvay recently inaugurated its Global Research, Development and Technology

Centre at Savli, Gujarat. The centre will focus its efforts mainly on the
development of high-performance polymers, organic chemistry, nano-composites
and green chemistry. It is housed in a LEED certified green building which is
energy and environment efficient sustainable building.
Contact Person
Mr. Sankaranarayanan S
Director - Operations
Email: s.sankar@solvay.com
Water Management in
Organisation:
Tata Chemicals Limited
Location: Mithapur, District – Jamnagar, Gujarat
Type of chemicals and production capacity:
Inorganic chemical complex producing Soda Ash and other marine chemicals,
Vacuum Salt and Cement having total production capacity of 2.26 million MT per
annum.
Water consumption:
Year Annual Water Production capacity Specific Water Consumption Source of Water
Consumption of the plant (Million MT) (m3 per MT of production)
2009-10 889,255 1.93 0.54
2010-11 1520,363 1.85 0.92 Rain Fed Lake

2011-12 1454,506 2.09 0.76
2012-13 802,461 2.36 0.39
Out of total water requirement of Mithapur more than 97 per cent is met through
sea water and water generated within complex through various processes like
vacuum evaporation, thermal distillation, etc. The above table provides water
consumption which is related to water withdrawn from external fresh water
sources.

Mithapur operations have steadily reduced its dependence on fresh water by
effective process integration and water pinch analysis. Some of the conservation
measures employed are - thermal desalination, softened sea water, substitution of
raw water by sea water, water from effluent heat, sea water reverse osmosis (RO)
etc. The option of nano-filtration is under consideration for future. The details of
water conservation measures adopted by TCL, Mithapur are as follows -
FICCI - HSBC
nWeak Liquor Distiller Still (WLDS):
WLDS is mainly used to remove the
ammonia present in the condensate.
Steam is used as stripping medium.
Approximately 1.5 KL/tonne of soda
ash of condensate is generated.
Approximately 3600 KL/day
condensate goes to water softening.
WLDS is considered to be one of the
major sources of water for this
complex.
nMake Up Water Plant (MUW): This plant was established in early 1980's
mainly to generate condensate for boiler feed water. The by-product of this
plant is vacuum salt sold in the market under brand name Tata Salt. This is
India's first vacuum evaporated iodized salt. Approximately 5.5 KL of
condensate is generated per tonne of salt. On an average per year 20 lakh KL
of water is generated from this plant.
nEffluent Treatment Plant (ETP) and Desalination Plant: The effluent from
soda ash plant is of 100 °C. The effluent treatment plant contains 2 streams
with flash chambers held under vacuum. The vapours from effluent treatment
plant goes to desalination plant to desaline sea water.
Desalination plant contains 4 cells (at a decreasing temperature from cell 1 to

cell 4. Heat released by condensation allows a portion of spent cooling
seawater to evaporate at a temperature of 65 °C in vacuum 22" Hg).
Desalination plant combined with ETP plant gives raw water of about 100 KL/hr
that goes to water softening
nSteam condensate recycling: The condensate from low pressure turbines

and all process heating are recycled as boiler feed water.
nSea water reverse osmosis and nanofiltration: 5,903 KL/ day based on
sea water reverse osmosis plant is in operation. Nanofiltration to remove
divalent ions (Ca2+, Mg2+ and SO42-) from sea water is under pilot testing.
Water Management in
Measure undertaken Qty. of water saved m3/ annum Costs saved in INR
Internal generations 5,560,497 83,407,459

(condensate, WLDS, MUW, etc.)

Out of total water consumed (freshwater + seawater + internally generated water)
around 88 per cent is generated as wastewater which is discharged in to Gulf of
Kutch. Before discharging the wastewater, more than 90 per cent of it is used
multiple times within the complex for various purposes.
Replicability of the measures undertaken:

Water conservation measures employed in the organisation can be replicated easly
elsewhere also (e.g. desalination, distillation, seawater RO desalination unit,
seawater based cooling system, softened seawater use for processes etc.).
Future plans:
The future plan is to achieve zero dependence on external fresh water sources for
process water by means of effective internal generations and recycling.
Company profile:
Tata Chemicals Limited is a global company with interests in businesses that focus
on LIFE: Living, Industry and Farm Essentials. Tata Chemicals is the world's
second largest producer of soda ash with manufacturing facilities in Asia, Europe,
Africa and North America. The company's industry essentials product range
provides key ingredients to some of the world's largest manufacturers of glass,
detergents and other industrial products.
Tata Chemicals' Mission, Vision and Values are deeply rooted in the principles of
sustainability. For the company, sustainability encompasses stakeholder
engagement, environmental stewardship, creating economic value, promoting
human rights and building social capital. Tata Chemicals supports the UN Global
Compact and is committed to reporting its sustainability performance in
accordance with GRI guidelines. The company actively works towards improving
its eco-footprint with a policy of 'avoid, reduce and reuse'. Resource optimisation,
alternative sources of fuel and raw materials, and maximising reuse and recycling
are key drivers in operations.
The company has been recognised for its clear commitments to sustainability and
its good environmental management practices.
Contact person
Mr. Sanjay G Choudhary
Chief Technology & Sustainability Officer
Email: sgchoudhary@tatachemicals.com
FICCI - HSBC
FICCI Water Mission
A ccess to safe water is one of the essential elements for sustainable

development and poverty reduction. However, the past few decades has
seen an increase in demand amongst various water using sectors putting
enormous stress on the natural resource.
FICCI constituted a 'Water Mission' to promote and provide thought leadership in

the area of water efficiency. It aims to facilitate the sharing and dissemination of
best practices across industry sectors in order to encourage corporate and industry
players to imbibe a culture of water conservation within their organizations.
The Mission is working to create awareness on the existing situation pertaining to

water scarcity, quality and generate a discourse on sustainable use of water
amongst various users. With growing and extensive depletion and pollution of our
water resources, our current work is being restructured to bring this issue back in
focus to provide a sense of urgency to the debate of water management.
The objectives of the Mission's work are:
nTo formulate suggestions for changes in policy framework in India for better
water resource allocation, conservation and management;
nTo promote fresh water conservation strategies across the irrigation, industry
and domestic sectors;
nTo document and disseminate best practices across various sectors and create
a forum to facilitate exchange of information and experiences in the country;
nTo promote new innovative technologies of water saving and management like
rainwater harvesting, watershed management, desalination, water auditing
and accounting across water intensive sectors through projects, workshops,
conferences and training programmes.
Queries to FICCI may be directed to:
Mr. Romit Sen Federation of Indian Chambers of

Senior Assistant Director Commerce and Industry
FICCI Water Mission Federation House, Tansen Marg
New Delhi - 110001
Ph: +91-11-23738488, Fax: +91-11-23765333

Email: watermission@ficci.com
Water Management in
FICCI - HSBC

Water Management in Chemical Industries

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Water Management in Chemical Industries

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Water Management in Chemical Industries

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

What is the purpose of this report?

What is the purpose of this report?

What are some water conservation measures mentioned in the report?

What are some water conservation measures mentioned in the report?

Principal Sponsor

Date: October 2013

This compendium of case studies on Water Management in Chemical Industries is

This publication is not intended to be a substitute for professional, legal or

Rights and permissions

The material in this publication is copyrighted. Reproduction/ transmission of all or

2. Water Use in Chemical Industries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

3. Effluent Generation and Minimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

4. Water Conservation Measures in Chemical Industries . . . . . . . . . 12

i. Chemplast Sanmar Limited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

ii. Jubilant Life Sciences Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

iii. LANXESS India Pvt Ltd.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

iv. LANXESS India Pvt Ltd.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

v. Solvay Specialitites India Pvt. Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

vi. Tata Chemicals Limited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

A large portion of water used by the chemical industry is for return-flow

The approach to managing effluents has to focus on the 3R principles. It should be

However, an important pre-requisite will be to identify major water-using

The report Water Management in Chemical Industries is therefore important in

Naina Lal Kidwai

The publication 'Water Management in Chemical Industries' is an attempt to

Based on a more functional classification, chemicals sector may be divided into

1. Basic organic chemicals: Organic chemical segment is one of the most

2. Speciality chemicals: Speciality chemicals are defined as a group of

4. Pesticides: Pesticides industry has developed substantially and has

6. Alcohol based chemicals: Alcohol is a key feedstock for the manufacture of

Dilution: Dilution is the process of reducing the concentration of a solute in

Dissolution: The process of dissolution occurs when a solute is placed in contact

Glassware washing and rinsing: Water is used in washing and rinsing of

Steam generation: Water is used in generating steam for various chemical

W ater is mainly used as a media in chemical manufacturing processes.

nIncreasing Cycles of Concentrations (COC): Cooling towers use water in

The best way to increase the cycles of concentration is through better

nUse of blow-down water or reverse osmosis (RO) rejects: The blow-

nEquipment cooling: Single-pass cooling typically consumes more water than

nScale-down approach: The chemical process optimization can be achieved by

nEquipment rinsing: There is a significant opportunity to save water in rinsing

nFlow control: Many equipments in a chemical industry remains 'on'

nWastewater recycling: Studies have shown that water is mainly used as a

nUse of treated municipal wastewater: Reclaimed wastewater is an option

Location: Raman Nagar, Mettur Dam, District-Salem, Tamil Nadu

Types of chemicals and production capacity of the plant:

Chemicals Production capacity (MT)

Water consumption (m3) Specific water consumption

nUse of Alkali portion of demineralization (DM) plant regeneration stream for

Air cooled condenser Rainwater harvesting pit

Wastewater generation and treatment:

2. Oxy acidic effluent having organics is processed through distillation column to

4. A new polymer effluent treatment system was implemented to remove PVC

5. Alkaline portion of the ion-exchange column of the regeneration effluent of

Year of Annual water Annual cost saved

Location: Bhartiyagram, Gajraula, District – Jyotiba Phule Nagar, Uttar Pradesh

Types of chemicals and production capacity of the plant:

Product Quantity Unit Product Quantity Unit

Chemicals Water consumption (m3) Specific water consumption Source of