At Kenvue in Helsingborg, one of the world’s largest consumer health manufacturers, process water had become a growing challenge. When tightened discharge limits made municipal disposal impossible, incineration became the only option — costly and unsustainable. Helios Innovations installed an on-site treatment plant that purifies the water and sends the concentrate to biogas production, turning a waste problem into renewable energy.
Helsingborg, Sweden
Chemical & Pharmaceutical Process water containing high levels of organic substances created a large hazardous waste stream that could not be handled by conventional methods. Incineration was the only option — until now. Kenvue needed a local, energy-efficient solution that reduced waste volumes while creating value from residual flows.
An on-site plant purifying all process water from two production streams. Using low-temperature evaporation, water is separated from organic compounds. The clean fraction is discharged to municipal sewage well within regulatory limits, while the concentrate is sent to biogas production. Continuous monitoring ensures stable operation and high purification performance.
1,000 m³
process water treated per year
80%
waste volume reduction
3 m³/day
treatment capacity
125 MWh
renewable energy from concentrate
2025
production start
540 kg
CO₂ reduced annually
The concentrate can generate up to 125,000 kWh of renewable energy per year through biogas production — energy that was previously lost in incineration.
The plant contributes to an estimated CO₂ reduction of approximately 540 kg per year, turning a linear waste process into a circular one.
Process water that was once a costly problem has become part of a resource-efficient loop — clean water discharged safely, residuals converted to energy.
The installation at Kenvue demonstrates how the pharmaceutical industry can take the next step towards sustainable water management — combining advanced technology with circular thinking.
By moving from linear waste disposal to a solution where energy, resources, and environment are connected, Kenvue has set a precedent for sustainable manufacturing in consumer health.
596
Substances detected in EU environment
46%
Pharma committed to net zero
9.9%
Manufacturing growth 2025–2030
Get in touch to explore how Helios can help you turn process water from a cost into a resource.
