AquaRevier: Visit to the Tillmann Paper Mill in Sinzenich

Getting to know the water management processes along the way from wastepaper to the finished product

Tour of the Tillmann Paper Mill in Sinzenich with Mr. Hellwich.  © FiW e. V.

As part of the AquaRevier project, René Kremer and Nina Ott from FiW, together with colleagues from the Institute of Environmental Engineering at RWTH Aachen (ISA), visited the Tillmann Paper Mill in Sinzenich in August. Together with the IWW (Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management at RWTH), FiW and ISA coordinate the project, which is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) under the STARK funding initiative and co-financed by the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. The aim of AquaRevier is to develop water management adaptation strategies for the Rhenish mining district, a region affected by structural change and climate change.

The paper industry, which has a long tradition in the Rhenish mining district, is an energy- and water-intensive sector. Due to climate change, such industrial enterprises are under particular pressure. They therefore form one of five important case studies in AquaRevier. Here, concepts for circular water management, water reuse, and innovative technologies to secure water availability in industry are to be developed.

During the plant tour, participants followed the path of paper: from the delivery of wastepaper, through processing, to the finished product. Special focus was placed on the water management processes, in which cleaning and reuse of water are closely interconnected. The Tillmann Paper Mill has been committed to sustainable use of the water resource for many years. The centerpiece is its own wastewater treatment plant, which cleans part of the process water and feeds it back into production. This already significantly reduces the demand for freshwater.

For the AquaRevier project consortium, the practical insights were particularly valuable. They illustrate how companies are already implementing concepts today that will be of importance for future water use in the Rhenish mining district. On this basis, further optimization potential can be identified within AquaRevier.

The exchange with the Tillmann Paper Mill highlights the relevance of cooperation between research, industry, and regional stakeholders in developing viable solutions to the challenges of structural change.