The role of nutrients in the bioenergy production

The role of nutrients in the bioenergy production

Nicolás Morales – Aqualia

3rd EUROPEAN NUTRIENT EVENT @ ECOMONDO 2018

8 - 9 November 2018, Rimini, Italy

www.smart-plant.eu/ENE3

http://www.smart-plant.eu/ENE3




(2017)



Aqualia treats 700 000 000 m3/year of urban WW

Electric consumption associated:

0.5 kWhel /m3 = 350 MkWh = 35 M €

500 000 000 people in Europe x

0.5 kWhel/m3 x 0.15 m3/PE·d = 37 500 MWh/d

37500 MWh/24 h = 1560 MW

Potential energy content of urban WW is

≈ 500 mg COD/L x 4 kWh/kg COD

≈ 2 kWhth /m3

(≈ 0.7 kWhel /m3)

Wastewater isBioenergy!


Promote Anaerobic routefleet vehicle quality

ABAD Bioenergy®Biogas upgrading

Figure 2. Integration of the AbAd process in a conventional WWTP

Water line

Sludge line

Biogas line

PRIMARY SETTLER SECONDARY

SETTLER

SCREEN

GRIT

REMOVAL

AEROBIC

REACTOR WASTEWATER EFFLUENT

PRIMARY

SLUDGE SECONDARY

SLUDGE

ANAEROBIC

DIGESTER DEWATERING DIGESTATE

BIOGAS

BIOMETHANE

>95% CH4

>85% CH4

<150 ppm H2S

BIOFUEL

NATURAL

GAS GRID

CHP

Biogas Biomethane

CH4 [%-vol] 65.9 ±2.3 > 89.6

CO2 [%-vol] 33.8 ±1.4 < 5

N2 [%-vol] 2.4 ±1.5 < 6

O2 [%-vol] 0.5 ±0.5 0.02

H2S + COS [mg S/Nm3] 915 ±449 < 5

Siloxanes [mg Si/Nm3] 5 0.3

Water content (ppm) - < 10

C


N fixationHaber-Bosch Process

10 kWh/kg N

Wastewater as nutrient source!

N P

C

NP


ELAN® Process (ELiminación Autótrofa de Nitrógeno,

Autotrophic Nitrogen Removal) PN/Anammox in one stage with granular biomass

European Patent: EP 2 740 713 A1

Processes

O2

consumption

(kg O2 / kg N)

COD

consumption

(kg COD /kg N)

CO2

emission

(kg CO2/kg N)

Yield

(kg VSS/kg N1)

Nitrification-

Denitrification3.18 4.9 3.52 2.11

ELAN® 1.83 0 3.26 0.12

Advanced WWTP

AD centrate:

• NH4+ 1000 mg N/L

• P: 80 mg P/L

• Alk ≈ 70 mmol/L

• pH ≈ 7.8

Final effluent:

• NH4+ 50 mg N/L

• P 10 mg P/L

• pH ≈ 8.5

ELAN® effluent:

• NH4+ 80 mg N/L

• P 80 mg P/L

• Alk ≈ 6 mmol/L

• pH ≈ 6.9

N

N P

N P

CN P N P

Co-digestion

ELAN Struvite

Advanced WWTP: ELAN process in the mainstream

Cas

e A

Slu

dge

d

isin

tegr

atio

n u

nit

Cas

e B

A

nam

mo

x

in t

he

slu

dge

lin

e

Cas

e C

A+B

Cas

e D

C

+ A

nam

mo

x

in t

he

wat

er

line

Cas

e E

An

aero

bic

MB

R

and

An

amm

ox

Parameter

Aeration

requirements (%)+13 -26 -25 -50 -86

Biogas production

(%)+15 +18 +51 +67 +250

Sludge generation

(%)-24 +17 -1 +9 +4

N2O emissions (%) +3 -22 -22 -83 -83

Saving costs (%) 6 7 19 28 68

Life Memory: Membrane for ENERGY and WATER RECOVERY

Potential Net Energy

production of

> 0.1 kWh/m3

Disinfected Nutrient

Rich Water

for Irrigation

Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor AnMBR

N P

Sewer mining


Population density in Spain (avg: 90 hab/km2) (https://www.citymetric.com)

Centralized treatments?

73% of municipalities < 2 000 inhabitants Central and Eastern Europe: 90% of settlements have less than 2 000 inhabitants

Decentralized alternatives


https://www.citymetric.com/fabric/these-maps-reveal-truth-about-population-density-across-europe-3625https:/www.citymetric.com/fabric/these-maps-reveal-truth-about-population-density-across-europe-3625


Recovery and Utilization of

Nutrients 4 Low Impact FErtilizer

- Domestic wastewater: important nutrient carrier not currently exploited

- Decentralized nutrient recovery from wastewater at the source

NC N P K

KP

Anaerobic digestion

UASB, AnMBR, HTAD



Water Re-use

Bio-fertilizers

Biomethane

CO2Wastewater rich in

nutrients

O2

N, P

Symbiosis: Algae - Bacteria

Images: Shutterstock

N P

N P

C

N P

C

C

N P


1 hectare cultivation

N PN P

1 hectare cultivation

N PN P 10 €/kg

99

39,6

20,78

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Biomasa Proteina Aminoacido

Co

nce

ntr

aci

on

(g

/L)

REG3Market ready

Biomass Protein Amino acid

Co

nce

ntr

atio

n(g

/L)

Bioestimulants and biopesticides; Antioxidants, peptides, fatty acids; Biofertilizers; Aquaculture;

• Projects focus on the reduction/recovery of energy

• Decentralized treatments. Treatments at the source. Sewer mining.

• Nutrients recovery:

❑Water for reuse: Irrigation

❑Solid and liquid fertilizers from the treatment of concentrated streams

❑From the biomass/algae: bio fertilizers, bio stimulants…

Thank you for your attention

Nicolás Morales – Aqualia

[email protected]

www.run4life-project.euwww.linkedin.com/in/run4life-project

twitter.com/RUN4LIFE_H2020This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research

and innovation programme under grant agreement No 730285

mailto:[email protected]

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The role of nutrients in the bioenergy production