OREANDA-NEWS. On 30 June 2009 Baltika Breweries announced completion of a large investment project: the second stage of treatment facilities of the Baltika-Samara Branch. The total cost of the project is over €8.5 mln.

Startup of state-of-the-art biological treatment facilities is now a rare and, thus, especially significant event both for the company and the entire region. The opening ceremony was attended by Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Dmitri Azarov, Minister of Economic Development, Investments and Trade Gabibulla Khasaev, head of the Kinelsky municipal district Nikolay Abashin, representatives of non-governmental environmental organizations.

The first stage of the treatment facilities of the capacity of 2500 m? per day was launched at Baltika-Samara brewery as far back as 2003, with the company investing about USD 3.8 mln in its construction. Construction of the second stage of treatment facilities was started in 2006 due to the growing production capacities of the enterprise. Today the treatment facilities of the branch can process up to 7500 m? per day. They use the equipment of the German company ENVIRO-CHEMIE.

The treatment facilities of Baltika Breweries in Samara use the state-of-the-art technology of biological waste water treatment. It occurs due to the activity of active sludge bacteria. The water used in production passes through a multistage treatment system including anaerobic and aerobic reactors and gets rid of brewing wastes: hydrocarbons, fats, amino acids, etc. The anaerobic treatment method applied in the project is seldom used in Russia and this project is absolutely unique for the Samara region. The biological treatment facilities of the Baltika-Samara brewery allow waste water treatment to the level satisfying the MAC (Maximum Allowable Concentration) norms of fishery water bodies by its properties.

Aleksei Ilyin, Director of Baltika- Samara Branch: "Caring about the state of the environment is a part of the social policy of mature modern business. Our company invests much money in ecological projects: builds state-of-the-art treatment facilities, uses returnable containers, and saves natural resources. Amid the present complicated economic situation it is especially important to preserve this focus of solution of ecological problems."