Water resources management

Energy from water

“We have the technology to produce biogas from wastewater so that it can be used as a source of energy.”

Gerhard Simon, sales manager REMONDIS Aqua

Treatment of wastewater and generation of energy merge into one

Industrial wastewater as a source of energy – that makes responsible wastewater management even more attractive. REMONDIS Aqua shows how it’s done. Using state-of-the-art processes and future-oriented technology, the company implements a triangular solution of perfect treatment services, low running costs and clear environmental advantages.

The legislator stipulates that it expects “state-of-the-art” wastewater treatment and, with this definition being open to different legal interpretations, it is contenting itself with very little. As a consequence, older sewage treatment plants, in particular, often lag behind today’s options – and not only when it comes to their treatment performance but also with other important aspects.

A striking example is energy requirements. Even if the ideal prerequisites for implementing new concepts exist, things are often not changed: clean water continues to be paid for dearly due to the excessive consumption of primary energy and correspondingly high costs. The result: energy costs account for almost a quarter of the overall operating costs. This needn’t be the case as modern wastewater management models not only offer a first-class treatment performance but also an efficient use of energy. The best option is to generate energy, as wastewater can be used to produce biogas using anaerobic biological processes which in turn can be used as a source of energy.

Value-added partnerships
It is especially worthwhile producing biogas when the wastewater has a high concentration of organic contents. Such water can be found in the food industry. It is not surprising, therefore, that manufacturers of food and drinks have acquired a taste for it.

Whether it is Lorenz Snack-World or Humana Milchunion, German cheese manufacturers or Spanish fruit juice producers: within the framework of contracting partnerships, REMONDIS Aqua unites industrial wastewater treatment with the advantages of producing biogas. To achieve this, the technical and organisational set-up is adapted to fulfil the customers’ exact needs. Thus, individual solutions are drawn up that makes the best possible use of the potential available. What they all have in common, though, is the small amount of space needed and the tangible business advantages.

Worthwhile improvements
The recovered biogas can either be used to produce steam for production processes or to be turned into electricity in combined heat and power plants. Both possibilities are looked upon favourably for renewable energy helps to limit climate change. Political targets are to increase the share of electricity generated by such energy sources to 20 percent by 2020. Financial rewards are being offered as an incentive. The amendment to the EEG (Renewable Energy Sources Act) has further increased such assistance. The potential EEG income clearly contributes towards the investment in the technology being quickly amortised.

“In addition, anaerobic wastewater treatment means there are no costs for aeration energy and there is far less sludge to dispose of. Two advantages that also have a positive effect on the balance sheet,” explained Gerhard Simon, sales manager at REMONDIS Aqua. Last but not least, it is also possible to use residual production waste, which has been pre-treated accordingly, to generate energy together with the biogas. This means, therefore, that material flow management becomes easier for solid organic waste and not only in the water management sector. A plus point that especially contributes towards the safe and long-term management of waste.

Using potential: when modern technology is used then it is also worth using wastewater that only has a low organic load to generate energy.

A sensible alternative: anaerobic wastewater treatment reduces electricity requirements and paves the way for producing one’s own energy.