By: Dianna Higgs-Stampfler

Cambrian Innovation, provider of distributed water and wastewater solutions for industrial producers, today announced Northern United Brewing Company (NUBC) is the first customer to install Cambrian’s EcoVolt® Mini. The EcoVolt® Mini converts high-strength wastewater into reusable quality water in one simple container designed specifically for growing breweries, wineries, and dairies. Northern United Brewing Company (NUBC), a family-owned Michigan brewery dedicated to making beers of outstanding art and flavor, will use EcoVolt® Mini to scale operations, cut operating costs, and improve its environmental footprint.

NUBC purchased the EcoVolt® Mini to alleviate pressure on the local wastewater treatment plant, allowing both the brewery and the community to grow. The State of Michigan provided a grant to help fund the project. EcoVolt® Mini will remove contaminants and solids from the wastewater while producing up to 11,500 therms of heat per year. The system will eliminate over 65 metric tons of CO2 per year, the equivalent of planting over 50 acres of trees every year. This initial installation will support an expansion of NUBC’s production of more than 40 percent.

“We were stuck between a rock and hard place—we wanted to make more beer to meet growing demand, but our community’s treatment plant capacity was tapped out,” said Northern United Brewing Company CEO and CFO Tony Grant. “With the City’s and State’s help, we are bringing wastewater management in-house with an innovative system from Cambrian. We’re excited to expand our production, and we’re proud to do our part to reduce pressure on the community’s water system.”

Compressing the revolutionary bioelectrically enhanced EcoVolt® Reactor and the EcoVolt® MBR into one, prefabricated module, the EcoVolt®Mini is an all-in-one water reuse container. Designed for food and beverage producers that are generating under 15,000 – 20,000 gallons of wastewater a day, the Mini rapidly removes over 99.9 percent of pollutants and solids from the waste stream, producing reusable water and renewable biogas. The system is designed to be automated, cutting down on operating expenses and saving businesses the headache of dealing with their wastewater.

“This project is the result of a strong collaboration to adopt and implement the right solution not only for NUBC, but also the community,” said Cambrian CEO Matthew Silver. “The EcoVolt® Mini’s compact design brings our EcoVolt® product line to smaller-scale operations that still want the big benefits of advanced wastewater treatment.”

At current levels, the waste stream resulting from the NUBC brewing process uses a significant amount of the industrial capacity in the City of Dexter’s municipal wastewater treatment system, preventing new food, beverage, or agricultural businesses from setting up operations in Dexter. This venture between Cambrian and NUBC, which will knock down barriers to business growth within the region, is funded in part by the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD) through the Strategic Growth Initiative Grant Program.

“This project is timely and very important,” stated Dexter Mayor, Shawn Keough. “Capacity constraints have not only capped NUBC’s growth, but they have affected the City’s ability to operate our plant efficiently. The solution developed by Cambrian and Northern United will hopefully free up capacity in our treatment system and reduce our operational challenges. We are excited to see the positive effects of this new technology.”

“We anticipate that this project will be a model that can be deployed across the State of Michigan. There are hundreds of food, beverage, and agricultural producers in Michigan who face the same challenges as NUBC,” said MDARD Agriculture Development Division Director Peter Anastor. “Cambrian’s innovative solution helps food and agriculture businesses grow and relieves pressure on our public infrastructure.”

NUBC’s EcoVolt® Mini is scheduled to be installed during the spring of 2016.

This article was republished with permission from Dianna at Promote Michigan. We do our best to help with the promotion of the great State of Michigan!