Techno-economical evaluation of a new technique for olive mill wastewater treatment

The aim of this study is to uncover an easy and rapid method for recovering and extracting a new product out of these liquid wastes. After separation of the remaining oil phase in the OMW, we used a method based on the inclusion with urea to extract oleic and linoleic acids with high purity 97.25% and 95.67% respectively. This was achieved by four successive crystallizations at different temperatures and led to the extraction of polyphenols, biodegradable soap and production of glycerol with high quality. In order to ensure the economic viability of the OMWW treatment project, a case study was performed based on the Marrakech region data. The technico-economic feasibility was also examined. The design and evaluation of the proposed unit yielded positive results, even without any process optimization.