Did you know that sugar beets are made up of 75% water? Every year, the Tiense Suikerraffinaderij recovers more than 1 billion liters of water — enough to fill around 400 Olympic-sized swimming pools. In times of drought, sustainably reusing this water is more important than ever.
From Sugar Beet to Drinking Water
At the Raffinerie Tirlemontoise, we produce more than 1 billion liters of purified water each year during the processing of sugar beets. Through the Tiense Watervelden project – in collaboration with De Watergroep and the Flemish Blue Deal program – we aim to give this water a second life. Thanks to advanced purification techniques, the water can be reused for agriculture, nature, recreation, and even as drinking water.
“We want to proactively address the drought issue in Flanders and expand the water supply using new sources, such as beet processing water, and through innovative technologies.”
Extracting water from sugar beets: how does it work?
Sugar beets are made up of 75% water. At the Tiense Suikerraffinaderij, this residual water is reused again and again throughout the sugar production process. Yet even with this internal recycling, over one billion liters of this purified water—equivalent to some 400 Olympic-sized swimming pools—still flow into local streams and rivers each year. That’s about to change, thanks to an ambitious new project. “We are fully committed to sustainable water management, guided by a forward-looking vision for an integrated water system,” adds Jan Ingels.
In practical terms, the beet process water will first be pretreated and then redirected via a new pumping station to an available site outside the city: the former airbase of Goetsenhoven. At this point, the water leaves the Tiense sugar factory at a temperature of 20°C, making it ideal for heat recovery applications.
Next, the water enters the Tiense Watervelden, where it is stored in large buffer basins. From there, it is taken over by De Watergroep. “The fully purified water will be treated in a new water treatment plant to produce drinking water — an innovative form of circular water use,” explains Hans Goossens, CEO of De Watergroep. The soft beet water will be blended with the mineral-rich, hard groundwater from De Watergroep’s existing sources, enabling greater source diversification. In addition, the water is suitable for irrigating nearby agricultural lands and green spaces.
Read more
Project planning is still in full progress. Read more and stay informed at www.tiensewatervelden.be.
