Wessex Water awarded a major bioenergy contract at Bristol to the UK company Monsal that will optimize the existing digester operation and generate more renewable energy on site from biogas.
The contract provides advanced digestion capability on the site by upgrading the processing capacity of the existing digesters from 55 TDS to over 90 TDS (33,000 TDS/annum) by employing biological hydrolysis and acidification as a pre-treatment technology.
The new pre-treatment system and digesters will be upgraded to handle the increased biogas production to over 33,000 m3/d on average. The plant will process an average of 84 TDS/day of mixed primary and SBR SAS and generate about 3 MWe of renewable energy. The existing 6 x 2700-m3 digesters will accommodate the increased sludge loading. The plant will incorporate the patented Enzymic Hydrolysis technology originally developed by United Utilities.
Monsal will provide a core package of design, technology, process commissioning support, operation and training. Wessex Engineering and Construction Services Ltd will undertake project management and construction. Key elements of the contract include: design of digester feed system; design and integration with existing digester control system; provision of core technology and services; design and upgrade of biogas management system; and design and integration with existing CHP system.
According to Managing Director Aidan Cumiskey, “The project is funded entirely from efficiency savings as a result of lower sludge disposal costs associated with the new product and the guaranteed renewable energy production on this site.”
ZLD goal for Qatar industrial complex
Qatar Shell GTL awarded the design-build contract for the Pearl GTL complex effluent treatment plant to a consortium formed from a 50/50 joint venture between Veolia Water and Saïpem and a local construction company, Al Jaber. The project is situated in Ras Laffan Industrial City, in northeast Qatar, 85 km from the capital city of Doha.
Optimizing management of the water cycle with an objective of zero liquid discharge into the environment is a major aspect of the Pearl GTL project. The plant will treat and recycle industrial effluents from this massive industrial complex.
The Pearl GTL project comprises the development of upstream gas production facilities, and an onshore GTL plant that will produce 140,000 barrels per day of GTL products and approximately 120,000 barrels per day of condensate, liquefied petroleum gas and ethane.
Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies will drive the design and completion of the effluent treatment plants supported by patented technologies from its subsidiaries OTV, HPD, Rossmark and Veolia Water STI. In particular, wastewater will be treated by ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis to achieve complete reuse within the factory process. No liquid effluent will be discharged into the natural environment. Sludge treatment will be carried out by evaporation and crystallization, a technology achieving low volumes of dewatered sludge and salt crystals.
Israel approves water technology center
The Israeli government approved of a proposal to establish the National Center for Advanced Water Technologies adjacent to the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research (BIDR) located on Ben-Gurion University of the Negev’s campus in Sede Boqer.
The announcement coincided with the opening of the international conference, “From Invention and Development to Product; From Research Institutes to the Water Industry,” organized by the Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research of the BIDR.
These events show Ben Gurion University and BIDR efforts to expand into research centers that interact with private and public sectors.
Sludge reuse facility slated for Dubai
Dubai Municipality commissioned the global environmental engineering consultant MWH to provide the Emirate of Dubai with a new wastewater and biosolids treatment facility, to keep pace with the dramatic population growth anticipated over the next 25 years.
The Jabel Ali Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) is a major new wastewater and sludge treatment facility that will serve Bur Dubai, Jabel Ali and the intervening areas west of the Creek with value for money and a sustainable approach including sludge re-use.
Prior to this contract, MWH completed a two-year, comprehensive review and design process on behalf of the Dubai Municipality to identify and select the best options for a new wastewater and sludge treatment facility capable of supplementing the existing treatment plant at Al Awir and to provide advanced wastewater treatment facilities for Dubai until the year 2030.
Following an extensive review process, a conventional activated sludge with sludge digestion and drying was selected as the preferred technology because it delivers the best value for money for Jabel Ali and the Dubai Municipality.
Field Notes
Netherlands: The international forum “Aquaterra 2007” on delta and coastal development will feature case studies on some of the world’s most renowned projects in Shanghai, the Dutch Delta, Dubai, Singapore, The Dutch “Room for rivers” project, and the innovative California Bay Delta project. The event will be held on February 7-9, 2007 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
The world’s delta areas and coasts are under increasing pressure from a range of natural and man-made causes. These include the effects of climate changes, but they are also due to a desire to develop a prosperous economy while maintaining a healthy natural environment that is attractive for people to live and work within. Aquaterra will focus on ways to manage these risks and create new opportunities in delta and coastal regions.
The adjoining exhibition will showcase market leaders in the industry, including top dredging, construction and development firms, architects, consultants and equipment suppliers. Participating exhibitors include Arcadis, Dura Vermeer Groep, Fugro Ingenieursbureau, HKV Consultants, Huesker Synthetics, Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP), Royal Boskalis Westminster, RPS Groep, Seabed BV, Ten Cate Nicolon, Van Essen Instruments, Van Oord Dredging and Marine, and Witteveen & Bos. More information about the conference program and exhibition of Aquaterra can be found at www.aquaterraforum.com.
Netherlands: The Delfland Waterboard installed a Berson InLine 400+® medium pressure UV system at its Nieuw Waterweg wastewater treatment plant in Hoek van Holland. The Berson system disinfects effluent, which is then re-used as process water for cleaning and dilution. A major advantage of the system is its stepless power supply, which means lower energy costs and longer lamp life than alternative methods, according to Berson. For more information, visit the website: www.bersonuv.com.
UK: The professional support services provider Mouchel Parkman strengthened its position in the water utilities sector through its acquisition of the Ewan Group at a value of £11 million. Ewan Group is a multi-professional water and utilities consultancy that provides services ranging from asset, infrastructure and facilities management to consultancy support on the European Water Framework Directive and supply-demand management.
UK: The 4rth International Water Association Conference on Membranes for Water and Wastewater Treatment reports 154 confirmed speakers, presenting a total of 160 papers over three days - May 15-17, 2007 - in Harrogate, UK. In addition, 60 poster presentations are confirmed. Registered delegates are coming from Europe, Korea, Brazil, and 15 other nations. Professor Simon Judd, Head of the Centre for Water Science at Cranfield University is finalizing the conference diary, which will be released shortly. Visit the Conference website at www.iwamembranes.info
