Poles have once again shown their strong hand in the technological field. The Organic Water company in cooperation with Politechnika Wrocławska have invented a new method of fruit processing, which allows to retain around 70% of the water usually lost in the process of juice making, keeping it in the circulation, along with lowering the carbon footprint of factories. [1]

These days the debate about carbon emission and greenhouse gases is necessary. Manufacturers around the world, regardless of a product they are making, aim to find solutions which won’t only lower their costs, but also their carbon footprint.

Thirsty Polish organisms

Each year Poles are consuming more and more fruit beverages and juices, which causes an increase in demand for them. In 2021 alone Poland produced an astonishing number of 10 747 thousand hectoliters of juice, both fruit and vegetable, which is an 11, 9% increase in comparison to the previous year. [2] In order to keep up with the increasing need, along with maintaining, or lowering the carbon footprint, new solutions are necessary.

– Poland is the third largest supplier of apple concentrate in the world. During the production of these concentrates, around 60 to 70 percent of the water from the fruit is wasted – says Piotr Łyczko, the President of Organic Water. – Our company has developed a technology of processing and mineralisation of water, which in effect allows us to obtain clear water with a slight smell and aftertaste of the original fruit it originates from. It can be said that this is the first fruit water in the world, created as a byproduct from fruit juice concentrate production. [1]

The “WOW” effect

The current process of juice production requires machines, which consume massive amounts of electricity. The distillers, in order to function efficiently, need to work at very high temperatures. This part of the production chain might be superseded by a more efficient method, which will also close the circulation of water in the juice industry. The method is called “Wyparne Oczyszczanie Wody” (WOW in short), which translates to “Evaporative Water Purification”. The solution proposed by Demis Pandelidis, BEng, PhD, DSc, suggests using renewable psychometric energy contained in atmospheric air, as a substitute for the process of distillation in the distiller columns. [1]

What are the results of the invention?

The promised difference in usage of electricity for every cubic metre of water shows a decrease from 25 kWh/m³ to only about 1,5 kWh/m³, which makes the results very promising for the well-being of the planet and a decisive step in the direction of a sustainable fruit and vegetable juice production industry. [1]

When the new invention proves to be very effective in many aspects, the positive environmental impact will be immense. Many companies, once they implement the “WOW”, will reduce carbon dioxide output by a great deal. This in turn, will allow us to enjoy fresher and less polluted oxygen each day.

Bibliography:

[1] Article published on Makeway website, titled: “Wyciśnięte do ostatniej kropli. Polska firma we współpracy z Politechniką Wrocławską wytwarza wodę z owoców!” 20-02-2023, Michał Wiktorowicz; URL: https://makeway.pl/produkcja-wody-z-owocow-przyjazna-srodowisku

[2] Statistics available on a government website; URL: https://stat.gov.pl/files/gfx/portalinformacyjny/pl/defaultaktualnosci/5477/2/111/1/produkcja_wazniejszych_wyrobow_przemyslowych_w_czerwcu_2021.pdf