BIOPAQ®AFR and THIOPAQ for poultry water treatment at RCL FOODS Worcester

The poultry industry faces growing pressure to reduce water pollution, lower energy use and minimise operational waste. At the same time, processors need stable compliance, predictable costs and solutions that fit within their sustainability strategies. As one of South Africa’s largest integrated poultry operations, RCL FOODS set ambitious targets to reduce freshwater use and move towards zero wastewater discharge. Its Worcester facility processes more than 250,000 birds per day, which creates a large and variable organic load in the effluent stream.

Green Create Waste-to-Value and Paques partnered to address these challenges. Together, they created a complete biological treatment solution that recovers energy, stabilises effluent quality and supports RCL FOODS’ long-term Water Roadmap.

Treating fat-rich poultry wastewater while reducing energy and water use

• Treat and re-use fat-containing wastewater reliably.
• Reduce energy consumption at the production site.
• Recover valuable resources, including nutrients, biogas and water.
• Support RCL FOODS’ Water Roadmap towards zero wastewater discharge.
• Improve resilience in a sector facing increasing water scarcity and stricter environmental expectations.

Green Create builds, owns and operates (BOO) waste-to-value plants for the poultry sector. For Worcester, the company selected Paques’ BIOPAQ®AFR as the core anaerobic treatment step. This bioreactor converts more than 90% of the COD, including fats and proteins, into biogas at short retention times. The system is designed to handle variable organic loads, making it a strong fit for the poultry industry.

The raw biogas then enters the THIOPAQ® biological desulfurisation unit. THIOPAQ removes hydrogen sulfide cost-effectively and produces clean biogas suitable for heat and electricity generation. As a result, the energy produced on site is stable, clean and fully integrated into the production process.

Together, BIOPAQ®AFR and THIOPAQ form a complete solution for poultry water treatment, combining organic load removal, odour control and renewable energy generation.

The combined system provides several operational and sustainability benefits:

• High COD removal (>90%) that converts organic load into valuable biogas.
• Biogas-to-energy integration, powering Worcester’s specialty plant with heat and electricity.
• 1.6 MW thermal energy and 1.5 MW electricity production from clean biogas.
• Consistent, high-quality effluent that avoids penalties and meets discharge requirements.
• No odour nuisance and fully automated operation supported by Green Create and Paques global services.
• A compact installation that minimises civil footprint and reduces sludge generation.

The result is a resilient and cost-effective wastewater treatment process that supports RCL FOODS in achieving its sustainability ambitions.

Green Create designs, builds and operates specialised waste-to-value facilities that transform waste streams into energy and reusable water. The company focuses on anaerobic digestion and advanced biogas recovery, offering long-term BOO contracts that include wastewater treatment, energy purchase agreements and reliable operational support. Their model enables poultry processors to focus on their core business while reducing environmental impact and improving water efficiency.

Paques provides the anaerobic and gas polishing technologies that power Green Create’s Waste-to-Value concept. At RCL FOODS Worcester, the partnership enables treatment of high-strength poultry effluent at industrial scale. The facility processes 3,000 m³/day of wastewater and supplies renewable heat and electricity directly back into production. RCL FOODS’ strategy places strong emphasis on reducing water pollution, lowering freshwater withdrawals and moving towards zero wastewater discharge. Green Create and Paques support these goals with biological treatment systems that recover energy and stabilise effluent quality. This collaboration demonstrates how the poultry sector can achieve circularity at scale using proven technologies.