Water is the most important element for human life. In recent times of growing water scarcity, awareness of water use and the impact of it have grown.
What is a water footprint?
When discussing footprints, it is always a question of impacts. A water footprint is an indicator for the impact of both direct and indirect water use calculated over the various steps of the production chain. When and where the water is used matters.
Water footprints are divided into green, blue and grey water footprints according to the Water Footprint Network, a non-profit foundation promoting the transition towards sustainable, fair and efficient use of fresh water resources. A green water footprint refers to the rainwater in the forest land or the water from irrigation of crops, while a grey water footprint is an indicator of pollution. A blue water footprint is defined as the volume of surface and groundwater consumed as a result of manufacturing a product. It is water that nobody else can use again.
Looking at water usage in a new way
Generally, the green water footprint for forest products is large as a consequence of the laws of nature as trees need water to grow. Our processes also need large amounts of water for web forming, steam and cooling applications. This is why Ahlstrom recognizes water as a key strategic issue.
When assessing the impact of water use at Ahlstrom facilities, we learn to look at our water use in a new way. The impact of our water use is only a fraction of the water intake per ton produced.
Our grey water footprint approaches zero as the discharges are cleaned to a level such that they have no significant environmental impact. This has been achieved through the tremendous progress Ahlstrom made with waste water treatment years ago.
Where does it matter the most?
To put our calculated operational blue water footprint results in perspective with regard to available water resources, we find that our operations in Scandinavia, North and South America and Russia are in areas with abundant water resources while in central Europe the resources are sufficient. Our South Korean site is located in an area with stressed water resources.
Ahlstrom uses the Global Water Tool, developed by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), to proactively assess and manage its water resource risks. The tool is based on statistics by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
In all its operations, Ahlstrom is committed to using fresh water in a way which is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.
For more information, please contact J. Michael Joyce at michael.joyce@ahlstrom.com
Sources:
http://www.waterfootprint.org/downloads/WaterFootprintManual2009.pdf
http://www.wbcsd.org
Ahlstrom Korea saves water
Korea is an area that is identified as stressed in terms of water resources and availability. Hence, it makes sense that Ahlstrom’s plant in Korea is a great place to push water saving initiatives.
Ahlstrom’s Korean facility manufactures filter papers for a wide variety of applications. In 2007, water drawn from wells, an adjacent river and from the local town water translated to 14.3 m3 per ton of product produced.
Working through the site’s engineering group and the operational excellence aPlus teams, a number of water saving opportunities were identified: The recycle efficiency from the wastewater treatment plant back into the process was increased from 83% to 90%. Also, the high-pressure showers serving the paper machines were transitioned from fresh water to recycled white water from the paper machines using tight mesh filter membranes.
The results of these efforts have been dramatic. The site has cut the raw water usage by 43%. The water per ton of product produced has dropped to 8.9 m3 per ton, an improvement of 38%. However, operating efficiencies are not the only gain. By taking these steps, Ahlstrom’s plant in Korea has done its part to preserve a limited local resource – water.