Energy efficiency – treated water quality – digitalisation

The efficient operation of large wastewater treatment plants is not only an economical but an environmental question as well. The European Climate Law has set the ambitious goal for Europe’s economy and society to become climate-neutral by 2050. The law also sets the intermediate target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030. When water and wastewater utilities make up ~2% global greenhouse gas emissions, it is a unique opportunity for the water sector to lead global decarbonization efforts.

In the meantime the Urban wastewater treatment directive imposes tertiary and quaternary treatment in larger plants of 150 000 p.e. and above, by 2039 and 2045 respectively. When talking about treatment efficiency we can’t forget about the phosphorus and nitrogen removal. The limits set by the law are getting more and more strict. Existing facilities are challenged to comply considering the limitations linked to physical footprint extension and to short-term investments.

In 2024 we can’t neglect the importance of digitalisation in any industries. Wastewater treatment is not an exception neither. There is a wide range of solutions to digitalise some parts of the entire wastewater treatment plant, but what are the hands-on benefits, what is the ROI of the investment.

During the 2 hours workshop we are looking into the details of the energy efficiency, treated water quality and digitisation in the case of large wastewater treatment plants. We bring you examples of real cases and invite you to a joint discussion to learn from experts.

The workshop is built up on modules, with a possibility of attending 1, 2 or the 3 sessions. The breaks between the sessions provide a great opportunity to connect with the attendees and experts of the topics.

Agenda:

16:00 – 16:10	Opening remarks, round table with the attendees Henning Richter, Director Vertical Marketing Wastewater Europe
16:10 – 16:40	Energy optimisation of LWWTPs Jindrich Prochazka, Senior Process Engineer
16:40 – 16:50	Break
16:50 – 17:00	Treated water quality, nutrient recovery at LWWTPs Zsombor Vánkos, Engineering Project Management Team Leader
17:00 – 17:10	Break
17:10 – 17:40	Digitalisation of LWWTPs Kalincikova, Zuzana, Manager, Business Development
17:40 – 18:00	Closing remarks and conclusions

Nature-based and digitally advanced opportunities in large treatment plant upgrades
Discussion of challenges and examples of drastic energy-saving solutions

1. Economic upgrade solutions with reactor and nature-based integration
- Challenges on existing wwtps of worldwide urban sprawl and continuous discharge standard tightening
- Upgrade options
- Integration opportunities for affordable nature-based solutions in upgrades
- Process background of nature-based treatment
- Advantages of integrated approach
- Examples of real-life installations in different continents
- Perspective from the operator’s point of view


2. Digital tools to find hidden reserves for significant energy saving in your WWTP.
- The source of untapped reserves in every treatment plant
- Importance of plant specific biological modeling
- The fusion of biological modeling and digital automation solutions
- Advanced process control strategies
- Examples of energy saving of above 40%
- Perspective from the operator’s point of view

Come with me on a delightful journey through the heart of Budapest! This won't be your typical tourist route – I'm going to show you some hidden gems! We'll be walking 5km from the fantastic K building at the Technical University to the Pest side of Margaret Bridge. Along the way, I'll be sharing some fascinating historical facts about the city, taking you to some secret parks, and giving you my top tips for local spots. We'll finish up at a lovely pub serving delicious traditional dishes. We'll meet at 6:30 in front of the Mercury Hotel, and then we'll hop on a tram to Szent Gellért Square, where our adventure begins! And now for the icing on the cake – an optional dinner at the fantastic Grinzingi Borozó! Route: Endresz György (aeroexpress) emléktábla - Vámszedőház múzeum - Nagycsarnok – Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum - Festetics Palota – Magyar Rádió épülete - Szent Rókus-kápolna – Uránia Nemzeti Filmszínház - Szimpla Kert - Dohány utcai Zsinagóga - Hatvani kapu emléktábla – Petőfi Irodalmi Múzeum - Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem Jogi kara - Centrál Grand Cafe & Bar – Párisi Udvar - Március 15. tér - Belgrád rakpart - Opcionális vacsora a Grinzingi Borozóban

Aerobic Granular Sludge (AGS) developed the last two decades into a widely applied modern variant for centralized activated sludge WWTPs and implemented up to multimillion person equivalents plant scale.

Goal of the workshop is to share current best-practices for AGS in large WWTP’s while facilitating dialogue, knowledge exchange and identification of potential beneficial future scientific & application developments.

In the workshop, owners and designers of several large AGS WWTP across the globe, will share their experience and lessons-learned and show how AGS reactor design and overall plant integrating was tuned towards coping with specific challenges. These include minimal energy/footprint consumption, extensive nutrient removal, salinity fluctuations and future load/treated water quality adjustments. Also hybrid plant integration to augment parallel activated sludge plants will be addressed, as well as plant integration with downstream membrane filtration to operate as AGS Membrane-Bio-Reactor.

Speakers:
- Debby Berends, on behalve of Jerusalem Wastewater and Purification Enterprises, Israel
- Marisa Buyers-Basso, on behalve of Uisce Éireann, Ireland
- Drainage Services Department, the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China
- Andreas Giesen, Royal HaskoningDHV, The Netherlands
- Mark van Loosdrecht, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
- Norbert Jardin, Ruhrsverband, Germany
- Monita Naicker, Aquatec Maxcon, Australia
- Per Overgaard Pedersen, Aarhus VanD, Denmark
- Brett Quimby, Aqua Aerobic Systems, USA

9:00	Welcome and opening Mark van Loosdrecht, Delft University of Technology
9:05	Fundamental mechanisms leading to granulation in AGS reactors and resulting process and sustainability benefits Mark van Loosdrecht, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
9:15	Practical integration of AGS within large WWTPs Andreas Giesen, Royal HaskoningDHV, The Netherlands
9:25	Technology assessment for best treatment options for a large new WWTP having resource recovery and carbon footprint prioritized Per Overgaard Pedersen, Aarhus VanD, Denmark
9:40	Design and configuration examples for AGS applications for large North American WWTPs Brett Quimby, Aqua Aerobic Systems, USA
9:55	Interactive workshop
10:10	AGS for Yuen Long Effluent Polishing Plant: integrating sustainability and urban design in compact WWTP for high-salinity wastewater Drainage Services Department, the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China
10:25	Altena WWTP: operation experiences with AGS in Germany Norbert Jardin, Ruhrverband, Germany
10:40	Lessons learned in design and operation of AGS for achieving advanced nutrient removal and water-for-advanced-reuse in Sydney Monita Naicker, Aquatec Maxcon, Australia
10:55	Interactive workshop
11:10	Lessons learned in design and operation of Dublin’s 600 MLD Ringsend AGS reactors and hybrid-AGS reactors Marisa Buyers-Basso, on behalve of Uisce Éireann, Ireland
11:25	Maximizing treatment capacity at landlocked Soreq WWTP through AGS with tertiary ultrafiltration Debby Berends, on behalve of Jerusalem Wastewater and Purification Enterprises, Israel
11:40	Interactive workshop
11:55	Closure Mark van Loosdrecht