100% free of wastewater – battery manufacturer Hoppecke reuses concentrate and distillate in production

25 years of H2O – and thus also many years of experience that our customers have gained with us and our solutions for industrial wastewater. Some of our customers have been with H2O right from the start – such as the Hoppecke company. Today, it is the largest European manufacturer of industrial batteries that is in private hands. In as early as 1999, Hoppecke opted for a VACUDEST system for circulating its wastewater and raw materials, thereby achieving wastewater-free production.

At its "An der Bremecke" site in Brilon (Sauerland), batteries are produced for trams and subways. These are used to overcome stretches where there is no overhead wiring. During production of the batteries, black mass is applied to textile carriers and cut into sheets. These sheets are then galvanically coated with nickel.  The quality of this production is decisive for the later charging capacity of the battery.

The resulting wastewater contains valuable raw materials that Hoppecke can reuse thanks to a VACUDEST vacuum distillation system.	Here, the finished batteries are charged and tested for functionality.

In nickel electroplating at Hoppecke, acidic rinsing water is produced, which must not be introduced into the public wastewater network.  It would have to be disposed of as hazardous waste. This leads not only to extremely high disposal costs but also to the loss of the raw materials contained in the wastewater (NiCl2, nickel(II) chloride, NiSO4, nickel(II) sulphate). To make these raw materials reusable, the company was on the lookout for suitable wastewater treatment. It found the solution together with the team at H2O and a VACUDEST vacuum distillation system.

Delighted about the reliable deployment of VACUDEST: Head of Maintenance, Christian Bödefeld (left) and plant engineer Josef Scholand – he already planned a sustainable concept 25 years ago and supported the use of a VACUDEST system.

The process in detail

At the beginning of the process, the wastewater from the nickel electroplating is fed into the vacuum evaporator. Due to the physical principle of substance separation by evaporation, only the clean water is evaporated, while the rest remains in the concentrate. This results in about 95 percent clean distillate, which is reused in the rinsing, and about 5 percent concentrate, with the raw material nickel. This is used again in the electroplating bath as recovered raw material.

Thanks to the fully automated system, the care for the VACUDEST is reduced to an absolute minimum: only one hour of maintenance per week from Hoppecke and half-yearly maintenance from H2O experts.

Hoppecke realises a double circulation of distillate and concentrate. 

The upshot

Hoppecke is happy to have found this solution with H2O. "The procurement of our raw materials is not only expensive but also often challenging. The staff at H2O carefully examined our requirements and supported us in finding the right technology in a very approachable and solution-oriented manner. This allowed us to achieve this reuse together." To mark H20's 25th anniversary, Hoppecke has the following wish for the company: "That H2O continues to have this success on the market for a long time to come. So that our successful collaboration is maintained!"