Conflicting carbon footprint and energy saving in a side-stream Anammox Process

Fenu, A.; Smolders, S.; De Gussem, K.; Weemaes, M.

doi:10.1016/J.BEJ.2019.107336

Title

Conflicting carbon footprint and energy saving in a side-stream Anammox Process

Author

Fenu, A.

Smolders, S.

De Gussem, K.

Weemaes, M.

Abstract

In the last decade, policies exclusively based on reducing the electricity consumption have pushed for the use of more energy efficient processes, such as anammox-based processes for biological nitrogen removal from wastewater. In this study, a pilot-scale Anammox reactor has been incorporated into an optimized full-scale wastewater treatment plant. The supernatant of the reject sludge waters has been treated by the full scale wastewater treatment plant with and without incorporating a full-scale Anammox reactor in the sludge line. Energy consumption and nitrous oxide emissions have been monitored in both scenarios. In terms of total impact, a side-stream Anammox process can effectively mitigate the nitrogen rich sludge reject water. The impact on the carbon footprint of the full-scale wastewater treatment plant is instead, to its best, neutral. The risks related to the incorporation of an Anammox process have been highlighted: if operations are not bound to good practices, they may lead to a severe increase in carbon footprint. The use of side-stream technologies, that can further reduce both electricity consumption and the total impact but not the carbon footprint, remains attractive only when good practices for nitrous oxide mitigation are enforced.

Language

English

Source (journal)

Biochemical engineering journal. - Amsterdam, 1998, currens

Publication

Amsterdam : Elsevier , 2019

ISSN

1369-703X [print]

1873-295X [online]

DOI

10.1016/J.BEJ.2019.107336

Volume/pages