On November 18, 2014 at Aurubis Bulgaria the new Rainwater Treatment Plant (RWTP) was presented at the company’s industrial site.
The facility was opened with a symbolic ribbon-cutting ceremony by the Minister of Economy Bojidar Loukarsky and HE Detlef Lingeman, Ambassador of Germany, Deputy Minister of Environment and Water Krasimir Jivkov, along with Dr. Frank Schneider, member of the Executive Board of Aurubis AG, and Tim Kurth, Executive Director of Aurubis Bulgaria, in the presence of representatives of central and local government, the diplomatic corps, the metallurgical business, the NGO sector, etc.
The total amount of the environmental project is € 6.3 million and was funded by the company. The activities were carried out in one year, covering the construction of a treatment plant with a capacity of 230 m3/h, buffer pools and incoming sewage. With the operation of the new water treatment plant, rainwater drainage from the premises of the industrial company with an area of 2,800 acres will be treated to achieve the parameters for discharge. The current technology will enable the purity level of discharged water to be in full compliance with the present best available techniques (BAT) established by the European Commission. Some of the purified water will be reused in the production process, thereby reducing the consumption of fresh water, which further enhances the effect of protecting the environment and resources.