Minimizing water consumption in the food industry: the Minimeau toolbox

How to minimize water consumption in the food industry? The objective of the Minimeau project was to work on the development of an integrated approach combining water footprint and mass pinch. The CTCPA, 4 ACTIA centers (Actalia, IFV, ITERG, CRITT PACA), AgroParisTech, INRAE and ProSim have developed a toolbox in the framework of the project.

Within this toolbox, you will find:

• A summary of the regulations and recommendations on water


• A video presentation of the Pinch Eau method


• A guide to building a water flowsheet


• Documentation and installation guide for the WaterOptim software


• The link to Simulis Pinch ™ software.


• The PDF of the water footprint graphic memento


• The PEAC calculator (water footprint and LCA) and its user guide

Access the Toolbox

What is the Minimeau project?

Selected by the ANR (AAPG 2016-2017) and accredited by the HYDREOS competitiveness cluster, the MINIMEAU project is part of the societal challenge "Stimulating industrial renewal: the factory of the future". Faced with the challenge that water represents for the agri-food industries, its objective is to develop a set of decision support tools to redesign water networks in factories with a view to minimizing water consumption. It will integrate the pinch method, which will be the subject of a particular development to manage the case of multiple contaminants, innovative treatment processes studied and qualified on real effluents, and finally, an environmental analysis of improvement scenarios in order to avoid impact transfers (Water Footprint, LCA). All the tools will be available for appropriation by the economic actors. The results of the methodologies developed will also be made available to the authorities to feed the reflection on a change in the regulations concerning the possibilities of recycling or reuse of water in the food industry. This 4-year project (2018-2021) involves academic partners (AgroParisTech/UMR GENIAL, IRSTEA/UMR ITAP), industry (ProSim), several technical centers (CTCPA, ITERG, ACTALIA, IFV and a transfer center (CRITT Paca). Minimeau is a project of the Actia Ecofluids mixed technology network (RMT).

What are the results of the project?

The Minimeau project (co-financed by the French National Research Agency) has made it possible to develop and test systemic tools that aim to reduce water consumption and effluent discharges by optimizing water reuse on an industrial site. Analyses carried out on sites show potential savings of up to 30%. During the 4 years of the project, two theses associated with measurements carried out by the technical centers in 10 partner companies made it possible to develop and test the water pinch method, water network optimization tools. Advanced analyses were carried out on 2 sites with a detailed characterization of the water flows and the realization of laboratory tests of treatment of samples taken on site. Finally, educational and technical work on the water footprint has enabled the construction of simplified calculation software dedicated to the reuse of water.

Watch the video presentation of the project and the tool: Relive the final conference of the Minimeau project - Minimeau

Contact Marie-Pierre LABAU, Head of the Environment Department, mplabau@ctcpa.org