| Title | Upgrading a wastewater treatment plant with thermophilic digestion of thermally pre-treated secondary sludge: techno-economic and environmental assessment |
| Abstract | Nowadays, several technologies and management strategies are proposed for upgrading wastewater
treatment plants (WWTPs) in order to improve sludge stabilization or minimize sludge production. In
order to make sure that this leads to overall improvements, their techno-economic and environmental
performance has to be carefully evaluated. In response to this, the techno-economic and environmental
performance was assessed for a considered model reference WWTP upgraded with separate treatment
and disposal for primary and secondary sludge to provide guidance to research, policy and investment
efforts. This paper departs in an experimental campaign carried out within the EU project "ROUTES" and
describes an assessment of an upgrade of a WWTP, involving wet oxidation of primary sludge and
thermophilic anaerobic digestion (integrated with thermal hydrolysis pre-treatment) for secondary
sludge. The reference plant and the upgrade implied different disposal routes for the resulting sludges:
incineration for the stabilized sludge deriving from the reference WWTP; agricultural land application
for the secondary stabilized sludge from the upgraded plant and landfilling for the solid residue deriving
from the wet oxidation process (as non-hazardous waste).
The mass balance carried out for both reference and upgraded WWTPs showed a reduction of total
sludge production (up to 45%) for the upgraded WWTP. The additional energy demand of the upgraded
solution (þ22.4 Wh/(PE d), PE: population equivalent) was partially balanced by the electric energy
produced by combined heat and power unit installed in the upgraded WWTP (18.08 Wh/(PE d)). The
integrated assessment showed that the upgraded solution, although resulting in an increase of WWTP
technical complexity, may contribute to environmental and economic advantages. The paper provides
guidance in terms of which aspects need a more thorough evaluation when this upgrade is considered in
real cases. |
| Source | Journal of cleaner production 102, pp. 353–361 |
| Keywords | Enhanced stabilization processThermal hydrolysisEconomic assessmentLife cycle assessmentMass balanceTechnical assessment |
| Journal | Journal of cleaner production |
| Editor | Butterworth-Heinemann,, Oxford, Regno Unito |
| Year | 2015 |
| Type | Articolo in rivista |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.04.051 |
| Authors | Gianico, Andrea; Bertanza, Giorgio; Braguglia, Camilla Maria; Canato, Matteo; Laera, Giuseppe; Heimersson, Sara; Svanstrom, Magdalena; Mininni, Giuseppe |
| Text | 340135 2015 10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.04.051 ISI Web of Science WOS 000356741200031 Scopus 2 s2.0 84930483333 Enhanced stabilization process Thermal hydrolysis Economic assessment Life cycle assessment Mass balance Technical assessment Upgrading a wastewater treatment plant with thermophilic digestion of thermally pre treated secondary sludge techno economic and environmental assessment Gianico, Andrea; Bertanza, Giorgio; Braguglia, Camilla Maria; Canato, Matteo; Laera, Giuseppe; Heimersson, Sara; Svanstrom, Magdalena; Mininni, Giuseppe Water Research Institute, IRSA CNR, Area di Ricerca RM1 Montelibretti, Via Salaria km 29.300, 00015 Monterotondo Roma , Italy; Department of Civil, Environmental, Architectural Engineering and Mathematics, University of Brescia, Via Branze 43, I 25123 Brescia, Italy; Water Research Institute, IRSA CNR, Viale De Blasio 5, 70132 Bari, Italy; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE 412 96 GEURoteborg, Sweden Nowadays, several technologies and management strategies are proposed for upgrading wastewater treatment plants WWTPs in order to improve sludge stabilization or minimize sludge production. In order to make sure that this leads to overall improvements, their techno economic and environmental performance has to be carefully evaluated. In response to this, the techno economic and environmental performance was assessed for a considered model reference WWTP upgraded with separate treatment and disposal for primary and secondary sludge to provide guidance to research, policy and investment efforts. This paper departs in an experimental campaign carried out within the EU project ROUTES and describes an assessment of an upgrade of a WWTP, involving wet oxidation of primary sludge and thermophilic anaerobic digestion integrated with thermal hydrolysis pre treatment for secondary sludge. The reference plant and the upgrade implied different disposal routes for the resulting sludges incineration for the stabilized sludge deriving from the reference WWTP; agricultural land application for the secondary stabilized sludge from the upgraded plant and landfilling for the solid residue deriving from the wet oxidation process as non hazardous waste . The mass balance carried out for both reference and upgraded WWTPs showed a reduction of total sludge production up to 45% for the upgraded WWTP. The additional energy demand of the upgraded solution þ22.4 Wh/ PE d , PE population equivalent was partially balanced by the electric energy produced by combined heat and power unit installed in the upgraded WWTP 18.08 Wh/ PE d . The integrated assessment showed that the upgraded solution, although resulting in an increase of WWTP technical complexity, may contribute to environmental and economic advantages. The paper provides guidance in terms of which aspects need a more thorough evaluation when this upgrade is considered in real cases. 102 Published version https //www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652615004199 via%3Dihub Upgrading a WWTP with thermophilic digestion of thermally pre treated secondary sludge techno economic and environmental assessment Manuscript 2015 Upgrading a WWTP JClP.pdf Articolo in rivista Butterworth Heinemann, 0959 6526 Journal of cleaner production Journal of cleaner production J. clean. prod. Journal of cleaner production. giuseppe.laera LAERA GIUSEPPE camillamaria.braguglia BRAGUGLIA CAMILLA MARIA giuseppe.mininni MININNI GIUSEPPE andrea.gianico GIANICO ANDREA ROUTES Novel processing routes for effective sewage sludge management TA.P07.001.004 Trattamenti per il riutilizzo e per lo smaltimento dei fanghi di depurazione |
