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For a successful and modern industry, sustainability comes as more than a checkbox to fill. Estonia already delivers innovation in this niche.
This week, Estonian wastewater treatment startup Spacedrip partnered with Lindström Group to deploy a large-scale water recycling system at their Kohila textile service facility. The installation treats and reuses 70% of process water on-site, saving 25,000 cubic meters of clean water annually. It’s the largest project of this kind in Estonia, and a sneak peek of what future industrial sites could use.
The system uses bioreactor technology with real-time monitoring and automated filtration. Water quality exceeds tap water standards, making it suitable for industrial processes. The closed-loop design eliminates most freshwater consumption for operations.
Spacedrip’s industrial systems handle 10-200 m³/day, with energy consumption of 1.5-3 kWh/m³ for non-potable water and 4-6 kWh/m³ for potable water. The activated sludge technology operates at 8-12g/l concentrations in compact bioreactors.
Solutions like this are not just good for the environment: the systems typically pay for themselves within 3–7 years. “Lindström is showing how smart water reuse in industry isn’t just environmentally responsible – it’s economically sound,” said Spacedrip CEO Joonatan Oras in his post.
Lindström Estonia CEO Roland Raud plans to expand: “Our vision is to bring similar systems to other service centres – because intelligent water management should become the norm, not the exception.”
So far, Spacedrip has raised €1,5M and delivered over 20 systems across four countries, serving breweries, paper mills, and other water-intensive industries. Recent projects include a 60 m³/day system in Nairobi and a 97 m³/day brewery system that produces potable water meeting EU drinking water standards. However, the opportunities ahead are much bigger: global water demand is expected to rise 40% by 2050.
