Success from experience
Our references
For over a decade, MKR evaporators have been treating slurry and digestate on residue and food waste plants across Europe. A selection of reference projects, with the evaporator used, the plant input and the achieved volume reduction.
* All data refers to results achieved under specific operational conditions. Actual efficiency may vary based on substrate composition and local plant setup. We recommend a laboratory evaluation of your sample before investment.
What are the use cases for MKR's evaporators?
MKR evaporators treat slurry and digestate across very different inputs, from food-waste and slaughter-waste plants to partial-stream zero-liquid digestate and the liquid from washing digestate fibres for peat-substitute production.
Reference plants at a glance
Reference Plant
Western Germany
Reference Plant
Switzerland
Medium: digestate from food waste, restaurant waste, flotation sludge and grease trap contents
Evaporators: 2 DV lines, each 3-stage, heat from CHP
Commissioning: line 1 in April 2019, line 2 in 2020
Data basis: remote monitoring 07/2023 to 08/2025
See the evidence: availability, distillate per day, cleaning, operation without staff, flexible operation, evaporation temperature, volume reduction, laboratory versus operation
Medium: as at Reference Plant Western Germany, plus rumen contents from the slaughterhouse
Evaporator: 1 DV4000, 4-stage, heat from CHP
Commissioning: 2020
Data basis: weekly operator reports 08/2025 to 01/2026 and daily operating data 06/2026 to 10/2026
See the evidence: distillate per day, cleaning, operating time
Reference 01: DV-Evaporator on a food-waste AD plant, Switzerland
A 4-stage DV-Evaporator has been treating digestate from food waste and food-industry residues with CHP waste heat since 2020. Over 51 complete operating days (26 June to 3 October 2026) it was evaporating 82 % of the time; at full load it produces approx. 40 m³ of distillate per day from approx. 350 kW of heat.
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Machine: 1 × DV-Evaporator, 4-stage, with vapour scrubber for ASL
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Plant input: food waste and food-industry residues, approx. 30,000 t/a
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Heat source: CHP waste heat
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Distillate: reused as process water in the plant's depackaging line
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Concentrate and ASL: taken over by a service provider as raw material for fertiliser production
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Measured on 51 complete days (26 Jun to 3 Oct 2026): 82 % of the time evaporating, on average approx. 31 m³ distillate per day; at full load approx. 40 m³ per day at approx. 350 kW, 4.5 to 4.7 l distillate per kWh heat
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Background: the evaporator replaced a reverse osmosis unit that did not work on this digestate
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In operation since: 2020
Reference visits and talks with the plant operator are possible.
Measured operating data: DV-Evaporator on food-waste digestate
How does a thermal vacuum evaporator perform in day-to-day operation on food-waste digestate? On a food-waste AD plant in Switzerland, a 4-stage DV-Evaporator has been running on CHP waste heat for more than 5 years. Over 51 complete operating days between 26 June and 3 October 2026 it was evaporating 82 % of the time and produced on average approx. 31 m³ of distillate per day, including cleaning, standby and stops. At full load it delivers approx. 40 m³ of distillate per day at approx. 350 kW heat input, which is 4.5 to 4.7 litres per kWh. The design value for this machine is 4.3 l/kWh. The distillate is reused as process water in the plant's depackaging line. Concentrate and ASL are taken over by a service provider as feedstock for further fertiliser production.
How the data was collected: 10-minute values from the plant control system, sent as daily reports. The basis is 51 complete operating days between 26 June and 3 October 2026 (daily windows 08:00 to 08:00). Days with incomplete data transmission are not included, and missing days were not interpolated. Full load: 16 days with at least 345 kW average heat input and at least 22 h evaporating.
Reference 02: MVR15 for washing liquid from digestate fibres (peat substitute), Germany
An electric MVR15 evaporates the liquid used to wash separated digestate fibres before they are made into peat substitute. The distillate goes back to the washing loop and the concentrate keeps the nutrients and solids, so the loop is closed.
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Machine: 1 × MVR15 (mechanical vapour recompression, electric)
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Medium: washing liquid from screw-press digestate fibres (fines and salts washed out), not digestate
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Energy: approx. 40 kWh electricity per m³ distillate (approx. 25 l/kWh) on this washing liquid; for digestate we state 22.5 l/kWh
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Process: screw press separates the fibres; fibres are washed and conditioned into peat substitute; the washing liquid is evaporated in the MVR; distillate returns to the washing loop
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Background: the MVR replaced an ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis concept that did not work on this medium, and shortened the process chain
Reference visits and talks with the plant operator are possible.
Proof of concept: before ordering, the operator tested the washing liquid in our laboratory, in our technical centre and on site with the MKR test unit
Reference 03: DV1000 for partial-stream zero liquid discharge, Germany
On an agricultural biogas plant fed mainly with slurry and farmyard manure, a 3-stage DV1000 evaporates the separated liquid phase. ASL is recovered as mineral fertiliser and the concentrate is dried together with the solids, so no liquid is left from this partial stream.
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Machine: 1 × DV1000, 3-stage
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Plant input: mainly slurry and farmyard manure
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Process: separation, evaporation of the liquid phase, ASL recovery, concentrate dried with the solids
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Heat demand: approx. 180 kW
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Distillate per kWh heat: approx. 3.4 to 3.7 l
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Volume reduction: approx. 5,000 m³ per year
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In operation since: early 2021
Reference visits and talks with plant operators are possible at food-waste plants in Switzerland and western Germany and at the MVR plant in Germany.
