Cementa (Heidelberg Materials) plans a new water treatment plant to strengthen the drinking water supply in northern Gotland, Sweden. In the autumn of 2022, Cementa commissioned and tested a miniature water plant in the roof to evaluate technology and construction before the full-scale water plant is being built.
The pilot plant, which has been in operation since last September at Filehajdar, is a smaller-scale model of a fully-functioning water treatment plant, about one-tenth the size of a full-scale one. The mini water plant, which is powered by electricity, has run approximately 1000h. The results from the pilot plant show excellent values regarding the quality of future drinking water for the subscribers, as well as a very stable and energy-efficient operation of the plant.
Matilda Hoffstedt, who is the factory manager at Slite, says that Cementa wants to take advantage of the water that collects in the limestone deposits, store it and create drinking water from it. “In this way, we can contribute to greatly strengthening the public water supply here in northern Gotland. The results from the pilot project are extremely promising and we see that a new water plant would really make a difference to the water supply throughout the year.”
The engineering and design company AFRY has been hired to contribute its knowledge in the work with the pilot project. AFRY assists with its expertise in drinking water production and experience in design and project implementation of new industrial facilities.
In planning for a full-scale water plant, Cementa began work in 2021 with a feasibility study and a water plant pilot. The entire feasibility study is expected to be completed in the summer of 2023 and the goal is to be able to put a full-scale water plant into operation with the most modern technology in 2027.
