The use of hybrid advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for the removal of pollutants from industrial effluents has been extensively studied in recent literature. The aim of this study is to compare the performance of the photo, Fenton, photo-Fenton and ozone-photo-Fenton processes in terms of color removal and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of distillery industrial effluent together with the associated electrical energy per order. It was observed from the experimental results that the O-3/UV/Fe2+/H2O2 process yielded a 100% color and 95.50% COD removals with electrical energy per order of 0.015 kW.h.m(-3) compared to all other combinations of the AOPs. The effects of various operating parameters such as H2O2 and Fe2+ concentration, effluent pH, COD concentration and UV power on the removal of color, COD and electrical energy per order for the ozone-photoFenton process was critically studied and reported. The color and COD removals were analyzed using a UV/Vis spectrometer and closed reflux method. (C) 2016 The Chemical Industry and Engineering Society of China, and Chemical Industry Press. All rights reserved.