Case Study: SIERRA-51 Ultrafiltration Membranes Delivering Consistent Long-Term Performance at Onkar Sugars, Maharashtra for Sugar Plant Water Treatment

Theway Scholar
Feb 2
3 min read

Introduction

Sugar manufacturing processes generate challenging process water streams containing high turbidity, suspended solids, colloidal silica, and organic matter. Effective pretreatment of this water is critical to ensure reliable Reverse Osmosis (RO) operation, protect downstream equipment, and control operational costs.

At Onkar Sakhar Karkhana Pvt. Ltd. (Onkar Sugars), Maharashtra, the existing ultrafiltration system faced performance limitations under variable process water conditions. To achieve stable pretreatment performance and long-term reliability, the plant partnered with Theway Membranes to implement SIERRA-51 Ultrafiltration (UF) Membranes. This case study highlights the robustness, durability, and cost-effective performance of SIERRA-51 UF membranes in a sugar plant application.

The Challenge

Process water in sugar plants is known for its fluctuating quality and high contaminant load, which can significantly impact UF membrane performance. At Onkar Sugars, the following challenges were identified:

High Turbidity & Suspended Solids: Process water contained elevated turbidity and suspended solids typical of sugar industry operations.
Colloidal Silica Presence: Fine colloidal particles increased fouling potential and reduced membrane efficiency.
Organic Matter Load: Organic contaminants contributed to frequent cleaning requirements.
UF Performance Limitations: Existing UF membranes experienced performance decline and higher operational costs.
Direct Replacement Requirement: The plant required a UF membrane that could directly replace the existing modules without system modification.

Ensuring consistent RO pretreatment performance under these conditions was essential for uninterrupted sugar plant operations.

The Solution: SIERRA-51 Ultrafiltration Membranes

After technical evaluation, SIERRA-51 UF Membranes from Theway Membranes were selected as a direct replacement solution, offering enhanced fouling resistance and long-term stability.

Key Features of SIERRA-51 UF Membranes

Advanced Ultrafiltration Technology: Effective removal of suspended solids, colloidal silica, and organic contaminants.
Consistent High-Quality Permeate: Delivers low-turbidity water suitable for RO pretreatment.
High Fouling Resistance: Designed to handle variable and high-load sugar process water.
Exact Replacement Design: Direct replacement for DOW-DuPont SFP2860 UF membranes, enabling seamless retrofit.
Cost-Effective Operation: Long membrane life with reduced cleaning frequency.

Deployment at Onkar Sugars, Maharashtra

The SIERRA-51 UF system was commissioned in 2023 at Onkar Sakhar Karkhana Pvt. Ltd., Maharashtra, as pretreatment to the RO system. The system treats process water with an installed capacity of 1 MLD, ensuring stable and reliable RO feed quality.

Key Deployment Details

Location: Pune, Maharashtra
Industry Segment: Sugar Plant
Technology: SIERRA-51 – Ultrafiltration
Source Water: Process Water
User Application: Pre-treatment to RO
Capacity: 1 MLD
Commissioning: 2023
Replacement: DOW-DuPont SFP2860 UF membranes

Results and Impact

Field performance validation of SIERRA-51 Ultrafiltration Membranes at Onkar Sugars demonstrated excellent long-term reliability and consistent performance under challenging feed water conditions.

Key Results Achieved

Consistent Permeate Quality:
- Turbidity: < 0.1 NTU
- Suspended Solids: < 1 ppm
- SDI: < 3Achieved consistently over the last 9 months, even with feed water turbidity up to 20 NTU, TSS up to 30 ppm, and SDI values > 6.
Stable Long-Term Operation:SIERRA-51 membranes have delivered stable permeability and recovery over 24 months of operation.
No Membrane Replacement Required:No UF module replacement has been required since commissioning, confirming long service life.
Improved RO Protection:High-quality UF permeate ensured reliable downstream RO performance.
Reduced O&M Costs:Lower fouling tendency and reduced cleaning frequency resulted in measurable operational cost savings.

Conclusion

The successful deployment of SIERRA-51 Ultrafiltration Membranes at Onkar Sugars, Maharashtra demonstrates Theway Membranes’ ability to deliver robust, reliable, and cost-effective UF solutions for the sugar industry. The membranes consistently handled high turbidity, suspended solids, colloidal silica, and organic matter while delivering excellent permeate quality for RO pretreatment.

By adopting SIERRA-51 UF membranes as a direct replacement, Onkar Sugars achieved enhanced system reliability, reduced maintenance requirements, extended membrane life, and improved overall water treatment performance—reinforcing the value of advanced ultrafiltration technology in sugar plant operations.

For More Details:

Via LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/thewaymembranes/

Via Facebook :

https://www.facebook.com/ThewayMembranes/

Via Twitter :

https://twitter.com/MembranesTheway

CONTACT

29, Yadaval Street

SIDCO Indl. Estate,

Chennai 600098

Tamil Nadu, India