A major textile finishing plant in Portugal discharged over 2,500 m³/day of highly colored wastewater containing reactive dyes, surfactants, heavy metals (from dye fixatives) and high COD loads. New EU Industrial Emissions Directive limits required color removal to < 50 Pt-Co units and COD below 125 mg/L — far beyond the existing lagoon-based treatment capacity.
RIEFILT designed a multi-stage treatment train under a 12-year BOOT contract combining ozone-based advanced oxidation for color destruction, MBR biological treatment for COD and nutrient removal, and nanofiltration polishing for water reuse in dyeing processes.
The plant achieved full EU IED compliance within 45 days. Water recycling saves approximately €650,000 annually in freshwater and discharge costs. The BOOT structure removed €4.1 M of CapEx from the client's investment plan. The facility has since been recognized as a best-practice reference by the Portuguese Environment Agency.
Textile finishing is one of the most water-intensive industries in Europe, with highly variable wastewater composition depending on production schedules. RIEFILT's BOOT model absorbs this variability risk — guaranteeing discharge quality regardless of changing dye recipes, production volumes, or seasonal fluctuations.
The ozone-MBR-NF combination was selected specifically for its robustness against the wide range of reactive, disperse and vat dyes used at this facility. RIEFILT provides continuous process optimization through remote monitoring and quarterly on-site audits.
