IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/rensus/v144y2021ics136403212100229x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Codigestion and combined heat and power systems energize wastewater treatment plants – Analysis and case studies

Author

Listed:
  • Sarpong, Gideon
  • Gude, Veera Gnaneswar

Abstract

Wastewater treatment industry aims to transform from being an energy consumer to an energy producer by recovering energy embedded in wastewater. There are several ways to achieve energy self-sufficiency or energy-positive status in wastewater treatment plants. This paper presents an energy performance analysis of wastewater treatment considering both energy efficiency and energy recovery mechanisms. Various treatment scenarios based on wastewater characteristics, plant capacity, primary treatment efficiency, and supplemental feedstock are considered to evaluate the potential for energy recovery in wastewater treatment. Energy efficiency (process equipment upgrades), carbon capture enhancement through sludge removal in primary treatment unit and biogas production through the addition of supplemental feedstock are considered in the analysis. Codigestion and combined heat and power system integration is considered to enhance biogas production and in turn electricity and heat production from wastewater treatment. Case studies highlighting the progress of codigestion and CHP integration are discussed in detail to understand the impact of various feedstock and technology combinations. The study confirms that carbon capture in the primary treatment unit can contribute to downstream energy conservation as well as enhanced biogas production. The energy recovery potential in wastewater treatment also increased with organic strength of the wastewater and the treatment capacity. Further, the type of CHP unit, number and size are critical factors in optimizing the energy losses in the conversion process. Despite the codigestion challenges and the capital costs required for both CHP and codigestion systems, their integration still leads the way forward for energy-positive and cost-effective wastewater treatment plants.

Suggested Citation

  • Sarpong, Gideon & Gude, Veera Gnaneswar, 2021. "Codigestion and combined heat and power systems energize wastewater treatment plants – Analysis and case studies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:144:y:2021:i:c:s136403212100229x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2021.110937
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S136403212100229X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.rser.2021.110937?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shen, Yanwen & Linville, Jessica L. & Urgun-Demirtas, Meltem & Mintz, Marianne M. & Snyder, Seth W., 2015. "An overview of biogas production and utilization at full-scale wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the United States: Challenges and opportunities towards energy-neutral WWTPs," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 346-362.
    2. Gude, Veera Gnaneswar, 2015. "Energy and water autarky of wastewater treatment and power generation systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 52-68.
    3. Manara, P. & Zabaniotou, A., 2012. "Towards sewage sludge based biofuels via thermochemical conversion – A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(5), pages 2566-2582.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Elio, Joseph & Milcarek, Ryan J., 2022. "Techno-economic analysis and case study of combined heat and power systems in a wastewater treatment plant," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    2. Maktabifard, Mojtaba & Al-Hazmi, Hussein E. & Szulc, Paulina & Mousavizadegan, Mohammad & Xu, Xianbao & Zaborowska, Ewa & Li, Xiang & Mąkinia, Jacek, 2023. "Net-zero carbon condition in wastewater treatment plants: A systematic review of mitigation strategies and challenges," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    3. Mariana Ferdeș & Gigel Paraschiv & Mariana Ionescu & Mirela Nicoleta Dincă & Georgiana Moiceanu & Bianca Ștefania Zăbavă, 2023. "Anaerobic Co-Digestion: A Way to Potentiate the Synergistic Effect of Multiple Substrates and Microbial Diversity," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-24, February.
    4. Iwona Szczepaniak & Piotr Szajner, 2022. "Challenges of Energy Management in the Food Industry in Poland in the Context of the Objectives of the European Green Deal and the “Farm to Fork” Strategy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-17, November.
    5. Misrol, Mohd Arif & Wan Alwi, Sharifah Rafidah & Lim, Jeng Shiun & Manan, Zainuddin Abd, 2022. "Optimising renewable energy at the eco-industrial park: A mathematical modelling approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 261(PB).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yan, Peng & Shi, Hong-Xin & Chen, You-Peng & Gao, Xu & Fang, Fang & Guo, Jin-Song, 2020. "Optimization of recovery and utilization pathway of chemical energy from wastewater pollutants by a net-zero energy wastewater treatment model," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    2. Kirchem, Dana & Lynch, Muireann Á & Casey, Eoin & Bertsch, Valentin, 2019. "Demand response within the energy-for-water-nexus: A review," Papers WP637, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    3. Macintosh, C. & Astals, S. & Sembera, C. & Ertl, A. & Drewes, J.E. & Jensen, P.D. & Koch, K., 2019. "Successful strategies for increasing energy self-sufficiency at Grüneck wastewater treatment plant in Germany by food waste co-digestion and improved aeration," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 242(C), pages 797-808.
    4. Guven, Huseyin & Ersahin, Mustafa Evren & Dereli, Recep Kaan & Ozgun, Hale & Isik, Isa & Ozturk, Izzet, 2019. "Energy recovery potential of anaerobic digestion of excess sludge from high-rate activated sludge systems co-treating municipal wastewater and food waste," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 1027-1036.
    5. Mattioli, A. & Gatti, G.B. & Mattuzzi, G.P. & Cecchi, F. & Bolzonella, D., 2017. "Co-digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste and sludge improves the energy balance of wastewater treatment plants: Rovereto case study," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 980-988.
    6. Kirchem, Dana & Lynch, Muireann Á. & Bertsch, Valentin & Casey, Eoin, 2020. "Modelling demand response with process models and energy systems models: Potential applications for wastewater treatment within the energy-water nexus," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    7. Kor-Bicakci, Gokce & Eskicioglu, Cigdem, 2019. "Recent developments on thermal municipal sludge pretreatment technologies for enhanced anaerobic digestion," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 423-443.
    8. Nghiem, Long D. & Koch, Konrad & Bolzonella, David & Drewes, Jörg E., 2017. "Full scale co-digestion of wastewater sludge and food waste: Bottlenecks and possibilities," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 354-362.
    9. Luo, Li & Dzakpasu, Mawuli & Yang, Baichuan & Zhang, Wushou & Yang, Yahong & Wang, Xiaochang C., 2019. "A novel index of total oxygen demand for the comprehensive evaluation of energy consumption for urban wastewater treatment," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 236(C), pages 253-261.
    10. Odabaş Baş, Gözde & Aydınalp Köksal, Merih, 2022. "Environmental and techno-economic analysis of the integration of biogas and solar power systems into urban wastewater treatment plants," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 579-597.
    11. Abdeshahian, Peyman & Lim, Jeng Shiun & Ho, Wai Shin & Hashim, Haslenda & Lee, Chew Tin, 2016. "Potential of biogas production from farm animal waste in Malaysia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 714-723.
    12. Omar, M.N. & Samak, A.A. & Keshek, M.H. & Elsisi, S.F., 2020. "Simulation and validation model for using the energy produced from broiler litter waste in their house and its requirement of energy," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 920-928.
    13. Meng, Xiangmei & de Jong, Wiebren & Kudra, Tadeusz, 2016. "A state-of-the-art review of pulse combustion: Principles, modeling, applications and R&D issues," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 73-114.
    14. Liu, Zhongzhe & Singer, Simcha & Tong, Yiran & Kimbell, Lee & Anderson, Erik & Hughes, Matthew & Zitomer, Daniel & McNamara, Patrick, 2018. "Characteristics and applications of biochars derived from wastewater solids," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 650-664.
    15. Krieg, Thomas & Enzmann, Franziska & Sell, Dieter & Schrader, Jens & Holtmann, Dirk, 2017. "Simulation of the current generation of a microbial fuel cell in a laboratory wastewater treatment plant," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 195(C), pages 942-949.
    16. Huang, Yu-Fong & Shih, Chun-Hao & Chiueh, Pei-Te & Lo, Shang-Lien, 2015. "Microwave co-pyrolysis of sewage sludge and rice straw," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 638-644.
    17. Arora, Amarpreet Singh & Nawaz, Alam & Qyyum, Muhammad Abdul & Ismail, Sherif & Aslam, Muhammad & Tawfik, Ahmed & Yun, Choa Mun & Lee, Moonyong, 2021. "Energy saving anammox technology-based nitrogen removal and bioenergy recovery from wastewater: Inhibition mechanisms, state-of-the-art control strategies, and prospects," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    18. Yu, Yang & Lei, Zhongfang & Yang, Xi & Yang, Xiaojing & Huang, Weiwei & Shimizu, Kazuya & Zhang, Zhenya, 2018. "Hydrothermal carbonization of anaerobic granular sludge: Effect of process temperature on nutrients availability and energy gain from produced hydrochar," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 229(C), pages 88-95.
    19. Alami, Abdul Hai & Abdelkareem, Mohammad Ali & Faraj, Mohammed & Aokal, Kamilia & Al Safarini, Nada, 2020. "Titanium dioxide-coated nickel foam photoelectrodes for direct urea fuel cell applications," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    20. Shangdiar, Sumarlin & Lin, Yuan-Chung & Cheng, Pei-Cheng & Chou, Feng-Chih & Wu, Wen-Ding, 2021. "Development of biochar from the refuse derived fuel (RDF) through organic / inorganic sludge mixed with rice straw and coconut shell," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 215(PB).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:144:y:2021:i:c:s136403212100229x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/600126/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.