Accelerating water circularity at Tecnoparco Valbasento
Tecnoparco Valbasento is in one of the most water-rich regions in Italy. Nevertheless, due to climate change, the region has recently experienced a water crisis. As a result, the water available was not enough to continue the activities that are normally carried out in this area. This is where the Zero Liquid Discharge system came into play, producing a water flow that enabled Tecnoparco Valbasento to seamlessly generate steam and keep all activities up and running.
DATE 2025-10-30Providing energy while preserving the environment
Located in Basilicata, Tecnoparco Valbasento is a services and utility provider. It produces and distributes electricity—mainly from renewable sources—as well as thermal energy, technical gas, and industrial water to fuel business development in Val Basento while preserving the environment.
The company’s services include the treatment of wastewater from industries, municipalities, and private companies. Several treatment processes are used depending on the chemical composition of the wastewater. To ensure the best available technologies are applied, Tecnoparco has built new facilities aimed at reducing environmental impact and recovering clean water for reuse.
Despite being in one of Italy’s most water-rich regions, Tecnoparco recently faced a water crisis due to climate change. The available water was insufficient to maintain normal operations. The solution came in the form of a Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) system, which enabled the company to continue generating steam and keep operations running.
ZLD (Zero Liquid Discharge)
Featuring the AlfaFlash evaporator and an optional decanter centrifuge, ZLD systems efficiently remove solids from wastewater and other liquids. The process allows recovery of valuable dissolved and suspended materials for reuse or sale. It also enables water recycling, reducing disposal costs.
How does it work?
Water is fed into the AlfaFlash heat exchanger. After heating, the fluid is pushed through a flash orifice, splitting into concentrate and vapor. These enter a cyclone separator where centrifugal forces enhance separation. Vapor rises and is cleaned of mist and droplets, while concentrate flows into a recirculation pump. A side stream is sent through a decanter to separate water from solids. The boiled-off water is condensed and reused—ensuring no liquid waste is discharged.
The Project
Industrial processes generate large volumes of wastewater that must be cleaned and reused. This led to the development of a ZLD system.
Tecnoparco partnered with Hydros, an EPC company specializing in industrial and civil wastewater treatment. Hydros handled all engineering, construction, and installation in-house.
The plant is unique in Italy and treats highly polluted industrial wastewater, recovering water and solids for reuse. By-products include salts that can be reused or disposed of more efficiently. The entire liquid phase is recovered and reused within the industrial hub for steam production, demineralized water, or other uses.
The ZLD system integrates multiple technologies in a single treatment chain. Reverse osmosis concentrate is sent to Alfa Laval’s two-stage evaporation plant, where the liquid is evaporated and solids are crystallized. These crystals are extracted via a decanter with a drying degree over 95%.
The plant treats approximately 9 cubic metres/hour of water using only 2800 kg/hour of low-pressure steam—an efficient setup.
Why Alfa Laval?
Hydros aimed to build the plant using the best technology. Since the facility is based on heat exchange, Alfa Laval was the natural choice as a market leader.
Thanks to close collaboration between Hydros and Alfa Laval’s engineering teams, Tecnoparco developed a high-performance, efficient plant. The partnership is set to continue in future projects.
Benefits of ZLD
“With an Alfa Laval Zero Liquid Discharge system in your processes, you can clean and recover up to 98% of the water for reuse. This reduces your impact on the environment and your disposal costs. The systems are designed to separate heavy loads, even at levels where other technologies have reached their limits.”
— Samy Diab, Global Sales, Waste Water Evaporation and ZLD – Alfa Laval
For over a century, Alfa Laval has delivered innovative solutions that promote energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and recover water and waste.