Olive oil is produced throughout the North African and Mediterranean regions. It’s estimated that 2 million tons are produced worldwide annually, with the largest producers being Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Tunisia, Portugal, Morocco, and Algeria.
The two byproducts produced by the three-phase system are a solid residue known as olive press cake (OPC) and large amounts of aqueous liquid known as olive mill wastewater (OMW). Around 30 million m3 of olive mill wastewater is produced annually in the Mediterranean area. This wastewater cannot be sent to ordinary wastewater treatment systems.
Olive oil production creates a lot of wastewater. This wastewater can harm the environment and can lead to oil spills. To effectively manage and mitigate these risks, Elastec drum oil skimmers offer a reliable and efficient solution. We extensively tested the effectiveness of our skimmers in multiple processing locations.
Elastec manufactures drum oil skimmers to capture and remove olive oil waste from water surfaces, including wastewater pits from olive oil production.
These skimmers use a rotating drum that partially submerges in the oil. As the drum rotates and adheres to its surface, while the water flows underneath. Wipers then scrape the oil from the drum and collect it for processing or disposal.
Key benefits of using Elastec drum oil skimmers in olive oil waste pits include:
- Effective oil removal: Elastec skimmers are excellent at skimming many types of oil and grease. This includes olive oil waste. This helps prevent contamination of surrounding water bodies.
- Environmental protection: By removing oil and grease from wastewater, Elastec skimmers contribute to improved water quality and reduced environmental impact.
- Cost-effective: While the initial investment in an Elastec drum oil skimmer may seem significant, the long-term benefits, such as reduced maintenance costs and improved wastewater management, often outweigh the upfront expenses.
- Easy maintenance: Elastec skimmers are designed for easy maintenance and operation, requiring minimal attention from operators. Regular cleaning and inspection are sufficient to ensure optimal performance.
- Versatility: Elastec skimmers can be tailored to fit the needs of different applications. This includes waste pits for olive oil, palm oil, and other types of food production oils that may require different configurations and flow rates.
Elastec drum oil skimmers offer a reliable solution for managing oil and grease in olive oil waste pits. By removing these contaminants, skimmers help protect the environment and promote sustainable practices in the industry. Our skimmers are performance tested at Ohmsett, one of the largest oil spill testing facilities in the world, which follows the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard F-2709-08 Standard Test Method for Determining Nameplate Recovery Rate of Stationary Oil Skimmer Systems.
