GEA powers innovative water treatment at lignatherm’s sustainable insulation plant

GEA is playing a central role in advancing eco-friendly manufacturing at Lignatherm AG’s new production facility in Küssnacht, Switzerland. The company is delivering essential components for a tailored, three-stage water treatment system that will support Lignatherm’s mission to produce wood fiber insulation boards with minimal environmental impact. The state-of-the-art plant, expected to be completed by fall 2025, will convert around 50,000 tons of wood chips annually into high-performance insulation materials.

A three-stage system for water-smart manufacturing

At the core of the facility is GEA’s custom-designed water treatment solution, engineered to reuse over 95% of the plant’s wastewater as process steam—dramatically cutting fresh water demand by the same margin. This three-stage process tackles water reuse at multiple critical points in production:

1.    Mechanical separation: GEA decanter centrifuges remove suspended solids from the wastewater stream, preparing it for further treatment.
2.    Thermal concentration: Using a falling film evaporator, dissolved solids are separated and concentrated for safe disposal, while clear condensate is recovered for reuse.
3.    Steam regeneration: GEA’s steam reformer closes the loop, transforming the treated water into process steam, eliminating the need for additional steam generation.

A standout feature of the system is the mechanical vapor compression (MVR) technology, which powers the evaporator without fossil fuels. With a coefficient of performance (COP) exceeding 25, it far surpasses the efficiency of traditional systems like heat pumps and gas boilers.

“This breakthrough process not only meets but surpasses Lignatherm’s environmental targets,” said Roland Moser, Evaporation Sales & Process Manager at GEA. “It’s a powerful example of how advanced technology and sustainability can go hand in hand.”

A model partnership in sustainable industry

The success of this initiative is rooted in a strong, collaborative partnership between GEA and Lignatherm. From early planning to implementation, the two teams worked closely to design a water treatment system aligned with Lignatherm’s high environmental standards.

“GEA’s expertise and collaborative spirit were instrumental from day one,” said Tobias Osterwalder, Managing Director and Head of Processing at Lignatherm. “This project shows that industrial innovation can thrive alongside responsible environmental stewardship.”

Raising the bar for water conservation in wood processing

Built on GEA’s long-standing expertise in thermal separation and chemical processing, the water treatment system is uniquely adapted to the demands of wood fiber insulation production. It maintains peak efficiency and water savings—even under variable seasonal conditions.

“Thanks to the synergy between our technology and Lignatherm’s vision for sustainability, this project not only achieves its ambitious targets—it sets a new industry benchmark for water conservation and resource efficiency,” added Rafael Piña, Project Manager Evaporation at GEA.