Paneer whey
Recover water and lactose from acid whey.
- Paneer makers
- Sweet shops and mithai units
- Milk cooperatives
RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP / 05
Developed withInstitute of Chemical Technology, MumbaiIndia's chemical technology institute since 1933
Pilot scaleDelivered by Rispri Labs
Dairy whey treatment.
Recover the water. Keep the lactose.
Rispri Labs delivers forward osmosis systems, developed with ICT Mumbai, that recover reusable water from paneer and cheese whey and concentrate the lactose for sale, at low pressure and low temperature.
RESEARCH TO REALITYRispri Labs × ICT Mumbai
ICT Mumbai
What it means for you
Dairy whey into water and lactose.
944 of 1,000
litres of water recovered from every 1,000 litres of paneer whey.
12×
more concentrated lactose, ready to sell or process.
Under 8 kWh
of power to remove a whole tonne of water.
Performance
Whey is a resource, not a load.
Whey is one of the strongest effluents a dairy produces. Sent to the ETP, it overloads treatment. Concentrated at source, it gives back clean water and a lactose stream with real value.
- 94.4%
- Of the water recovered from paneer whey at pilot scale
- 12.5×
- Lactose concentrated, from about 4% to 49.5%
- <8kWh/t
- Energy per tonne of water removed
- 0.35bar
- Operating pressure
Figures are from the research team's pilot-scale trials. Performance on your stream is confirmed in our laboratory before design.
Challenge and response
The problems this solves.
- 01The challenge
Whey's high BOD and COD overload the ETP.
How we solve itConcentrate whey at source so it never reaches the ETP.
- 02The challenge
Dairies buy fresh water while discarding whey water.
How we solve itRecover over 94% of the water for reuse.
- 03The challenge
Lactose and solids are lost to drain.
How we solve itConcentrate lactose about 12-fold for sale or processing.
- 04The challenge
Evaporators cost steam and can damage heat-sensitive solids.
How we solve itForward osmosis runs cold, at low pressure.
How it works
The process, step by step.
- 1
Collect
Whey is collected and filtered after paneer or cheese making.
- 2
Draw
Hollow-fibre modules draw water out of the whey into a draw solution.
- 3
Concentrate
Lactose and solids concentrate on the whey side, without heat.
- 4
Reuse
Recovered water returns to the plant; the concentrate goes for lactose recovery.
Use cases
Where dairy whey treatment and water recovery delivers.
Cheese and casein whey
Concentrate sweet whey before drying or sale.
- Cheese plants
- Casein producers
- Chhena units
ETP load reduction
Take the strongest stream out of the ETP.
- Lower BOD and COD load
- Smaller aeration demand
- Less sludge
Lactose recovery
Feed a concentrated stream to lactose crystallisation.
- Pharma-grade lactose
- Food ingredients
- Animal feed
Pre-concentration before drying
Remove most of the water before spray drying.
- Whey powder
- Lower steam use
- Smaller dryers
Water reuse
Return recovered water to utilities.
- Cooling tower make-up
- Cleaning water
- Boiler feed after polishing
Comparison
How it compares.
| Factor | Send to ETP / thermal evaporation | Rispri solution |
|---|---|---|
| Whey handling | Diluted into the ETP | Concentrated at source |
| Water | Lost with treated effluent | Over 94% recovered |
| Lactose | Destroyed in treatment | Concentrated about 12-fold for recovery |
| Energy | Aeration power or steam | Under 8 kWh per tonne of water removed |
| Product quality | Heat can damage proteins and sugars | Low-temperature, low-pressure process |
Standards and regulations
Designed around the rules that apply to you.
We design each system to meet your consent conditions and the regulations for your sector, and our laboratory reports against them.
- Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986Discharge standards for dairy effluent.
- State consent conditionsPlant-specific BOD, COD and volume limits.
- CPCB dairy sector guidanceWater use and effluent management norms for dairies.
- FSSAI regulationsQuality rules for food ingredients recovered from whey.
Industries served
Built for the sectors that need it most.
- Dairy
- Milk cooperatives
- Cheese and paneer plants
- Food processing
- Sweets and mithai units
- ETP, STP and ZLD plants
Why Rispri
Institute science. Industrial delivery.
Institute-developed technology
Built on patented and peer-reviewed research from our partnership with ICT Mumbai.
Tested on your stream
Our accredited laboratory characterises your water or waste before design and verifies results after.
Engineering since 1999
The team that builds ETPs, STPs and ZLD plants across India takes each solution from pilot to full scale.
One accountable partner
Design, supply, installation, commissioning, operation and testing under one contract.
Questions
Frequently asked questions.
How much water can be recovered from whey?
In a pilot on a 13.8 m² hollow-fibre module, 94.41% of the water in paneer whey was recovered at 0.35 bar.
What happens to the lactose?
It stays in the whey and concentrates from about 3.95% to 49.5%, ready for lactose recovery, drying or sale.
How much energy does it use?
Under 8 kWh per tonne of water removed in pilot trials, far below thermal evaporation.
Does it work for cheese whey too?
The same forward osmosis platform suits sweet and acid whey. We confirm performance on your whey in our laboratory and on a pilot.
Can it be added to an existing dairy?
Yes. The modules sit between whey collection and the ETP, so they fit into existing plants with little change.
Research partnerships
More solutions from our partnerships.
THE NEXT STEP
Prove it on
your own stream.
Send us a sample or tell us about your site. We will test it, recommend a configuration and set up a pilot.
Request a pilot