This article reviews three different ways to reduce GHG emission in wastewater treatment plants: (1) Minimization through change in operational parameters, (2) Treatment of the gaseous streams, and (3) Prevention by applying new configurations and processes to reduce both pollutants and GHG emissions.
IWA Search Theme: Wastewater Systems
Biogas valorization and efficient energy management – Best practices for improved sludge digestion
This review covers state-of-the-art technologies for advanced anaerobic digestion of municipal sewage sludge. It is based on an extensive review of literature and available data, focussing on processes which have been realized in full-scale plants. The review includes information on single-stage mesophilic digestion, thermophilic digestion, temperature-phased digestion, high-load digestion and other process modifications, as well as mechanical, thermal, chemical, and biological disintegration methods. All processes are described with a set of key performance indicators such as degradation rate of volatile solids, biogas yield, return load, effects on dewatering, and capital costs.
GUIA’s WWTP 0-100% Energy self-sufficient
Guia’s Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) one of EPAL main assets, is the largest Portuguese WWTP and one of the main engineering works in Portugal due to the complexity of its technical solution, the requirements of the receiving environment (bathing area) and urban planning (tourist zone).
Separating sewage from rainwater in Vancouver
Vancouver is working toward the Province of BC’s environmental goal to eliminate sewage overflows by 2050. As the City replaces combined sewer systems with separated sewer systems, properties will also need to have separated sewer systems.There are two sewer separation programs running concurrently in the City. The overall sewer mains are being separated so that storm drains carry stormwater runoff separately from other wastewater.
Benefits and drawbacks of thermal pre-hydrolysis for operational performance of wastewater treatment plants
This paper presents benefits and potential drawbacks of thermal pre-hydrolysis of sewage sludge from an operator’s prospective. The innovative continuous Thermo-Pressure-Hydrolysis Process (TDH) has been tested in fullscale at Zirl wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), Austria, and its influence on sludge digestion and dewatering has been evaluated. A mathematical plant-wide model with application of the IWA Activated Sludge Model No.1 (ASM1) and the Anaerobic Digestion Model No.1 (ADM1) has been used for a systematic comparison of both scenarios – operational plant performance with and without thermal pre-hydrolysis. The impacts of TDH pre-hydrolysis on biogas potential, dewatering and return load in terms of ammonia and inert organic compounds (Si) have been simulated by the calibrated model and are displayed by Sankey mass flow figures. Implementation of full scale TDH process provided higher anaerobic degradation efficiency with subsequent increased biogas production (+75-80%) of waste activated sludge (WAS). Both effects – enhanced degradation of organic matter and improved cake’s solids content from 25.2 to 32.7% TSS – promise a reduction in sludge disposal costs of about 25%. However, increased ammonia release and generation of soluble inert Si was observed when TDH pre-hydrolysis was introduced to WWTP.
Sewage Treatment Plants: Economic Evaluation of Innovative Technologies for Energy Efficiency
Sewage Treatment Plants: Economic Evaluation of Innovative Technologies for Energy Efficiency aims to show how cost saving can be achieved in sewage treatment plants through implementation of novel, energy efficient technologies or modification of the conventional, energy demanding treatment facilities towards the concept of energy streamlining.
Energy saving opportunities for wastewater facilities: A review
Energy saving opportunities for wastewater facilities: A review
Energy self-sufficiency as a feasible concept for wastewater treatment systems
Energy self-sufficiency as a feasible concept for wastewater treatment systems
Energy Recovery from Wastewater Treatment Plants in the United States: A Case Study of the Energy-Water Nexus
Energy recovery from wastewater treatment plants via anaerobic digestion with biogas utilization and biosolids incineration with electricity generation. We estimate that anaerobic digestion could save 628 to 4,940 million kWh annually in the United States. In Texas, anaerobic digestion could save 40.2 to 460 million kWh annually and biosolids incineration could save 51.9 to 1,030 million kWh annually.
Detailed dynamic pumping energy models for optimization and control of wastewater applications
Despite the increasing level of detail in wastewater treatment process models, oversimplified energy consumption models (i.e. constant ‘average’ power consumption) are being used in optimization exercises. A new dynamic model for a more accurate prediction of pumping costs in wastewater treatment has been developed to overcome this unbalance in the coupled submodels. The model is calibrated using two case studies. The first case study concerns the centrifugal influent pumps (Nijhuis RW1-400 · 525A) of the municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Eindhoven (The Netherlands), governed by Waterboard De Dommel. For the second case study, concerning a centrifugal pump (Flygt, type NT3153 · 181) of the intermediate pumping station (pumping primary treated wastewater) of the Mekolalde WWTP, located in Bergara (Guipúzcoa, Spain), a model extension was necessary in order to allow a better description of the pump curve, making the model more generic. Both cases showed good agreement between the model predictions and the measured data of energy consumption. The model is thus far more accurate compared with other approaches to quantify energy consumption, paving the way towards ‘global’ process optimization and new, improved control strategies for energy reduction at WWTPs.