DANIELA SCHMITT, MINISTER FOR ECONOMICS, TRANSPORT, AGRICULTURE AND VITICULTURE RHINELAND-PALATINATE, PRESENTED THE INNOVATION AWARD 2022 IN THE CATEGORY "SPECIAL AWARD INDUSTRY" TO DR. ULF BOENKENDORF, VOLKER ERMEL AND DR. BENJAMIN HELLMANN FROM SCHAEFER KALK.
Phosphorus and phosphate present a threat to our waters. In order to reduce this negative impact, phosphate precipitants have been used in German wastewater treatment plants since the 1980s. Mostly iron or aluminium compounds dissolved in strong acids or alkalis are used. Their use, in turn, is problematic for the process of wastewater treatment, as the ability of the wastewater treatment plant to eliminate nitrogen is inhibited, among other things.
SCHAEFER PRECAphos®, as the award-winning product from SCHAEFER KALK is called, is used in wastewater treatment plants for optimum phosphate precipitation and wastewater treatment. What makes this innovative product different from conventional precipitants is that it is up to 30% more efficient. Compared to conventional liquid and very acidic precipitants, the product has an acid-neutralising effect and stabilises the pH value of the water in the optimum range. The properties of the discharged sludge are also improved by SCHAEFER PRECAphos®. The sludge can be dewatered and pressed out much better. This does not only reduce the transport volume, but also allows the sludge to be reused more effectively.
SCHAEFER PRECAphos®, which SCHAEFER KALK just presented last week at IFAT, the World's Leading Trade Fair for Water, Sewage, Waste and Raw Materials Management in Munich, has not only convinced sewage plant operators and the trade press, but has also impressed the jury responsible for the Innovation Award 2022. And so on Friday, 3 June 2022, Volker Ermel and Dr. Benjamin Hellmann proudly accepted the "Innovation Award 2022” in the category "Special Industry Award" on behalf of SCHAEFER KALK from Minister Daniela Schmitt.
"Since its market launch in June 2019, SCHAEFER PRECAphos® has been a success story," says Dr. Andreas Kinnen, President Sales & Marketing at SCHAEFER KALK. "We are not only proud of our new product, SCHAEFER PRECAphos®, but also especially of our employees, Volker Ermel and Dr. Hellmann, who have developed this product and brought it to the market. We would like to thank them in particular, but of course also all our other employees who have made this come true."