Introduction:

Through a process called anaerobic digestion (AD), organic solids can be broken down to produce biogas, a methane rich
byproduct that is usable for energy generation. When applied at municipal wastewater treatment facilities, an existing
waste stream can be converted into renewable energy and can be used by either installing a combined heat and power
system, using a normal biogas generator, or through biogas upgrading to grid level or vehicular fuel. If additional organic
waste streams are diverted to these facilities to supplement municipal wastewater solids, even greater efficiencies and
energy potential can be attained for energy generation onsite and resale to the grid or to the clients directly based on a
project to project basis. Such projects lead to environmental benefits such as methane capture, reduction of green house
gases, renewable energy generation, organic fertilizer generation, employment generation and organic waste volume
reduction. Furthermore, facilities can reduce their operational costs associated with energy consumption and waste
disposal while generating revenue from processing additional waste streams.

Wastewater treatment plants present an untapped source of renewable energy. Within the millions of gallons of
wastewater that pass through these plants in any given day, are hundreds of tons of bio solids. When anaerobically
digested, those bio solids generate biogas which can be anywhere from 60 to 70 percent methane. If captured, that
biogas fuel can be used in several ways - thus, creating a renewable energy source. In short, based on my experience, it
can be said that, contained within the wastewater is ten times more energy than what is necessary to treat that water.
Sewage sludge is produced in waste water treatment plants as a part of their internal plant cleaning process. The sludge
contains the particles from the waste water, which can also be used as organic fertilizer because it is rich in organic
matter, leaving the water clean for its release into the nature. A growing population worldwide along with increased

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global industrialization is increasingly being served by waste water treatment facilities which has led to a rapid growth of
sewage sludge production.

The main feedstock for Anaerobic Digestion in waste water treatment plants is sewage sludge. Sewage sludge is
generally composed of primary and secondary sludge, which is also called mixed sludge. Grease from the grease traps are
often also digested. Screens are not suitable for Anaerobic Digestion as they contain coarse materials that may be
harmful to pumps and stirring systems. In addition to this, other organic materials such as organic waste from households
or from industries may also be digested in the anaerobic reactor of the waste water treatment plant - this is then called
co-digestion. Primary sludge, also called raw sludge, is produced by gravitational sedimentation in the primary settler. It
has a high content of organic matter and is easily degradable. Under optimum digestion conditions, a methane yield of
350 – 400 Nm3/t organic dry matter (ODM) can be expected. Secondary sludge, also called excess sludge or activated
sludge, results from the biological treatment of waste water. It has a smaller degradable fraction than primary sludge
and thus a lower biogas yield. Under optimum digestion conditions, a methane yield of 200 – 250 Nm3/t organic dry
matter (ODM) can be expected.

Renewable energy production takes on increasing importance in light of dwindling resources and the world’s increasing
energy consumption. Anaerobic Digestion technology is one of the options for deployment in the conversion of organic
residues to renewable energy and organic fertilizer. It plays an important role in achieving the ambitious targets set by
the European renewable energy directive, 2009/28/EC which states that 20% of the final energy consumption must be
provided by renewable sources by 2020. As important consumers and producers of energy, waste water treatment plants
are one of the numerous players influencing the development towards energy sustainability. It is recommended that
operators of a plant should regularly evaluate its processes and include the results in their reports. Improvements and
deterioration in performance in comparison to past performance should be highlighted and updated regularly. We will
now focus on sewage sludge treatment and AD, but it is recommended to integrate the results into an analysis of the
entire waste water treatment plant.

A number of operational and environmental parameters have been studied in detail and recommended below in order to
assess a plant’s sustainability. The situation in any particular plant can be compared to the indicated ranges, which
allows one to get an overall idea of the plant’s performance and to establish any potential for improvements. Operational
parameters which are necessary for the best results of the anaerobic digestion at a waste water treatment plant are:

 Hydraulic retention time

 Temperature
 Gas production
 Degradability of the substrate/feedstock
 Methane content in the biogas
 Final end use of the produced gas and organic manure

A possible approach for the implementation of the optimization process is described hereafter, divided in the following
steps:

Situation analysis: The first step is to understand where and why there are deficient performances. The parameters
described above are an important tool in this process; ideally, data is collected regularly in order to track their evolution.
For process steps with deficient performance, the following questions must be asked:

• Is the technical equipment efficient?

• Has it been designed appropriately?
• Is it operated correctly?
• Has there been regular maintenance?
Furthermore, it is important to consider the general concept of the plant. Are synergies within the plant being exploited?
Are there synergies with surrounding industries that could be exploited or created?

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Optimization Plan: The next step involves optimization measures based on the results of the situation analysis. A number
of key measures are described. An evaluation of the costs and benefits helps to decide if a measure should be applied and
to establish the final optimization plan.

Implementation and further monitoring: The last step is the planning and realization of the optimization measures. It is
important to continue the monitoring of operational and environmental parameters after the implementation. A
comparison before and after is a good way to appreciate the real effectiveness of the applied measures.

Sewage Sludge Pretreatment:

The aim of sewage sludge pretreatment is destruction of solid structures and cell walls of the biomass to enhance the rate
and volume of gas production. Its main aims are a faster digestion process, higher energy production and a reduction of
the sludge volume. Further effects are better de-watering ability and a possible reduction of the reactor volume resulting
from a higher throughput of sewage sludge. A large number of mechanical, thermal, chemical and biochemical
pretreatment technologies are available on the market (for sewage sludge also called disintegration technologies).
Taking a closer look at different pre- treatments, many have not shown themselves to be beneficial from a sustainability
point of view, which is a reason why any purchase must be studied carefully on a case by case basis for every project.

Co-digestion:
In addition to sewage sludge, some waste water treatment plants include other organic feedstock in the anaerobic
reactor. This is referred to as co-digestion. This can lead to a significant increase in biogas production because most co-
substrates have a considerably higher methane production per tonne of fresh matter than sewage sludge. This is due to
the lower water content and high content of energy-rich substances such as proteins, carbohydrates and fats in co-
substrates. As co-digestion in waste water treatment plants is subject to strict regulations in most countries, the legal
situation must be studied carefully before planning to proceed in the direction of co-digestion. Co-digestion is an
interesting option to optimize the biogas production, but it also involves additional work and infrastructure at the waste
water treatment plants. Various devices are required such as the reception pit, suction device, pretreatment, storage, etc.
The additional substrates also induce an increase of the nitrogen load in the processed water.

Innovative Water to Energy Solutions – Perfect Example (Anaerobic Digestion and use of
CHP)
As the adoption of Anaerobic Digestion and CHP at waste water treatment plants is no easy task, several other potential
means of tapping the energy contained within waste water are worth taking note of. One especially innovative solution,
is the use of microbial fuel cells to directly harvest energy from raw waste. IntAct labs and several other startups are In
the process of developing this technology for applications such as municipal wastewater treatment. Other options include
the mixing of sludge into landfill trash to catalyze methane production for capture. Springfield waste water treatment
plant is currently sending their sludge to landfill, where the gas is capture and reused. Unfortunately, this system is not as
efficient for the production and capture of biogas.

Regional facilities are another alternative that may be more feasible, particularly for space constrained
facilities. Furthermore, a regional facility can be much larger and have greater economies of scale during
the installation of anaerobic digestion and CHP. The downside is that plants would have to continue transporting their
sludge for treatment, limiting the financial benefit of each facility. At the same time, the operational changes and
challenges would be limited to this facility, and the capital costs can be shared or financed by a larger entity such as the
state.

As mentioned previously, the addition of high strength food wastes can also improve the productivity of

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an anaerobic digestion and CHP system. If anaerobic digestion and CHP systems are more productive, the payback on the
installation of these systems can be shortened, making the adoption of anaerobic digestion and CHP more financially
feasible, even for smaller plants. While still considered relatively new, food wastes can be effectively incorporated into
wastewater treatment systems to enhance methane (and renewable energy) production. Lastly, selecting a single plant
as a pilot project may help demonstrate the effectiveness of AD and CHP technologies. This plant may subsequently
provide operational lessons to interested plants, enabling risk‐ averse operators to overcome fears of unknown processes
and skepticism about their viability. Doing so will also enable the testing of new ideas such as the addition of high
strength food wastes.

Conclusion:
Any developed city can be a leader in its overall management of waste streams, especially if it begins to think more
broadly about it both in terms of solid waste as well as waste water. The present article argues to use anaerobic digestion
at waste water treatment plants and if possible to treat the biodegradable food waste at the same facility to get more
biogas. To push the envelope and truly to be a leader, the developed cities can take strides to do more than just that. Any
developed city has the opportunity to view its waste systems holistically and to see where those systems overlap and
through regional solutions, adopt a vision of resource recovery where more is reclaimed and less is wasted.

With millions of gallons of waste water passing through waste water treatment plants each day, the opportunity costs of
foregoing this renewable energy source are growing as we delay action through adoption of these technologies. These
costs are both environmental and economical. Anaerobic digestion and further use of the produced biogas minimizes
emissions from energy generation and waste water processing which in turn generates positive cash flow for the waste
water treatment plants. States like California and New York are already ahead of the domestic curve in adopting these
practices, a place where any city can also be, if the right steps are taken. The possibilities of anaerobic digestion and
various uses of the produced biogas are already proven, not only in the United States and Europe but other developed
countries too. While there are veritable challenges in translating these ideas into reality, the grand vision of other cities
to have resource reclamation is not beyond attainment as long as we, choose to take strides in the right direction. We
must identify key projects today and offer them the financial means to demonstrate the future of renewable energy,
waste water treatment and resource recovery. In doing so, cities can spark the transformation of waste systems into an
environmentally sound and economically stable network, helping to bridge the gap where the country falls short of
global action to mitigate human environmental impacts.

Suggestions:
The best way towards sustainable biogas production at waste water treatment plants is the establishment of a
monitoring system. It is recommended that each plant should regularly evaluate its processes and note the results
regularly, illustrating good and deficient performances, as well as optimization possibilities. Good awareness of each
stage of the process and the possibilities for improvement is one of the most important steps in the optimization process.
The detailed operational report can also serve as a communication tool in order to attract attention of the local
population and politicians when investments are required. It is further important to remain attentive to developments
and regularly investigate new possibilities. It is sometimes beneficial to replace an old system, even though still
functional, by a new, more efficient one. Or, as the industrial neighborhood of a plant changes, new possibilities for
synergies should be examined. However, plant optimization is a continuous process, which requires a committed,
innovative and dynamic operating team. Continuous education and experience exchange is an effective way to keep up
with the best practices and the newest technological developments.

Contributed by:

Srinivas Kasulla
Biogas Consultant
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