New cobalt removal unit
INEOS Aromatics is investing heavily in a new, industrial size wastewater treatment unit in Geel, Belgium, that will deploy proven and pioneering cobalt emissions removal technology at scale for the first time in the PTA industry.
When installed, the technology will reduce cobalt levels in wastewater discharged to the Grote Nete River from 300–400 µg/l* to below 50 µg/l. This will help reduce cobalt concentration in the Grote Nete River from historic levels of 30µg/l to approximately 6 µg/l.
Following an initial pilot phase, the project is now in the engineering stage and is due to be completed by the end of 2026. When operational, it will set new, best in class standards for the global PTA industry and help Flanders to meet the stringent environmental quality standards it has set under the EU water directive.
The investment builds on the site’s long term track record of continuously improving cobalt discharge.
*µg/L = micrograms per liter
Reflux water
Our PTA plant in Geel has a water stream containing acetic acid and heavy organics that is normally sent to the waste treatment to remove pollutants before the wastewater is discharged into the environment. The Geel team is instead redirecting ~30 ton/h of this waste stream to its distillation tower. Distillation towers separate mixtures of liquids such as chemical compounds into their individual components based on their boiling points – in this case, the tower is used to separate the water from the organics. The water is then reused in the process, replacing the use of fresh, high purity demineralized water (or ‘demin water’) that ensures the quality of the final product. The acetic acid and heavy organics are also reused in the oxidation reactor, a critical part of the PTA manufacturing process.
This method enables the team to produce high quality end products while reducing the use of fresh water and additional materials.