IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v13y2020i8p2088-d348630.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Possible Roles of Wastewater Treatment Plants in Sector Coupling

Author

Listed:
  • Michael Schäfer

    (Institute Water Infrastructure Resources, University of Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany)

  • Oliver Gretzschel

    (Institute Water Infrastructure Resources, University of Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany)

  • Heidrun Steinmetz

    (Department for Resource Efficient Wastewater Technology, University of Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany)

Abstract

The development of a power system based on high shares of renewable energy sources puts high demands on power grids and the remaining controllable power generation plants, load management and the storage of energy. To reach climate protection goals and a significant reduction of CO 2 , surplus energies from fluctuating renewables have to be used to defossilize not only the power production sector but the mobility, heat and industry sectors as well, which is called sector coupling. In this article, the role of wastewater treatment plants by means of sector coupling is pictured, discussed and evaluated. The results show significant synergies—for example, using electrical surplus energy to produce hydrogen and oxygen with an electrolyzer to use them for long-term storage and enhancing purification processes on the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Furthermore, biofuels and storable methane gas can be produced or integrate the WWTP into a local heating network. An interconnection in many fields of different research sectors are given and show that a practical utilization is possible and reasonable for WWTPs to contribute with sustainable energy concepts to defossilization.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Schäfer & Oliver Gretzschel & Heidrun Steinmetz, 2020. "The Possible Roles of Wastewater Treatment Plants in Sector Coupling," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-20, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:8:p:2088-:d:348630
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/8/2088/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/8/2088/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Georg Neugebauer & Florian Kretschmer & René Kollmann & Michael Narodoslawsky & Thomas Ertl & Gernot Stoeglehner, 2015. "Mapping Thermal Energy Resource Potentials from Wastewater Treatment Plants," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(10), pages 1-23, September.
    2. Gu, Yifan & Li, Yue & Li, Xuyao & Luo, Pengzhou & Wang, Hongtao & Robinson, Zoe P. & Wang, Xin & Wu, Jiang & Li, Fengting, 2017. "The feasibility and challenges of energy self-sufficient wastewater treatment plants," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 1463-1475.
    3. Pietzcker, Robert C. & Longden, Thomas & Chen, Wenying & Fu, Sha & Kriegler, Elmar & Kyle, Page & Luderer, Gunnar, 2014. "Long-term transport energy demand and climate policy: Alternative visions on transport decarbonization in energy-economy models," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 95-108.
    4. Seier, Maximilian & Schebek, Liselotte, 2017. "Model-based investigation of residual load smoothing through dynamic electricity purchase: The case of wastewater treatment plants in Germany," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 210-224.
    5. Marcello Aprile & Rossano Scoccia & Alice Dénarié & Pál Kiss & Marcell Dombrovszky & Damian Gwerder & Philipp Schuetz & Peru Elguezabal & Beñat Arregi, 2019. "District Power-To-Heat/Cool Complemented by Sewage Heat Recovery," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-21, January.
    6. Chen, Guanyi & Zhao, Liu & Qi, Yun, 2015. "Enhancing the productivity of microalgae cultivated in wastewater toward biofuel production: A critical review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 282-291.
    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. Gábor Pörzse & Zoltán Csedő & Máté Zavarkó, 2021. "Disruption Potential Assessment of the Power-to-Methane Technology," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-21, April.
    2. Matthias Maldet & Daniel Schwabeneder & Georg Lettner & Christoph Loschan & Carlo Corinaldesi & Hans Auer, 2022. "Beyond Traditional Energy Sector Coupling: Conserving and Efficient Use of Local Resources," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-36, June.
    3. Oliver Gretzschel & Michael Schäfer & Heidrun Steinmetz & Erich Pick & Kim Kanitz & Stefan Krieger, 2020. "Advanced Wastewater Treatment to Eliminate Organic Micropollutants in Wastewater Treatment Plants in Combination with Energy-Efficient Electrolysis at WWTP Mainz," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-28, July.
    4. Adam Starowicz & Marcin Zieliński & Paulina Rusanowska & Marcin Dębowski, 2023. "Microbial Fuel Cell Performance Boost through the Use of Graphene and Its Modifications—Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-13, January.
    5. Peter Lichtenwoehrer & Lore Abart-Heriszt & Florian Kretschmer & Franz Suppan & Gernot Stoeglehner & Georg Neugebauer, 2021. "Evaluating Spatial Interdependencies of Sector Coupling Using Spatiotemporal Modelling," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-23, February.
    6. Joseph Tauber & Andreas Ramsbacher & Karl Svardal & Jörg Krampe, 2021. "Energetic Potential for Biological Methanation in Anaerobic Sewage Sludge Digesters in Austria," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-17, October.
    7. Diego Teixeira Michalovicz & Patricia Bilotta, 2023. "Impact of a methane emission tax on circular economy scenarios in small wastewater treatment plants," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(7), pages 6575-6589, July.
    8. Ihsan Hamawand, 2023. "Energy Consumption in Water/Wastewater Treatment Industry—Optimisation Potentials," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-3, March.
    9. Zoltán Csedő & Botond Sinóros-Szabó & Máté Zavarkó, 2020. "Seasonal Energy Storage Potential Assessment of WWTPs with Power-to-Methane Technology," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-21, September.

    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. Rosa M. Llácer-Iglesias & P. Amparo López-Jiménez & Modesto Pérez-Sánchez, 2021. "Energy Self-Sufficiency Aiming for Sustainable Wastewater Systems: Are All Options Being Explored?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-20, May.
    2. Sibi G, 2018. "Bioenergy Production from Wastes by Microalgae as Sustainable Approach for Waste Management and to Reduce Resources Depletion," International Journal of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources, Juniper Publishers Inc., vol. 13(3), pages 77-80, July.
    3. Visva Bharati Barua & Mariya Munir, 2021. "A Review on Synchronous Microalgal Lipid Enhancement and Wastewater Treatment," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-20, November.
    4. Mónica Vergara-Araya & Verena Hilgenfeldt & Di Peng & Heidrun Steinmetz & Jürgen Wiese, 2021. "Modelling to Lower Energy Consumption in a Large WWTP in China While Optimising Nitrogen Removal," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-24, September.
    5. Philippe Thalmann & Marc Vielle, 2019. "Lowering CO2 emissions in the Swiss transport sector," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics, Springer;Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics, vol. 155(1), pages 1-12, December.
    6. Sharma, Nishesh & Jaiswal, Krishna Kumar & Kumar, Vinod & Vlaskin, Mikhail S. & Nanda, Manisha & Rautela, Indra & Tomar, Mahipal Singh & Ahmad, Waseem, 2021. "Effect of catalyst and temperature on the quality and productivity of HTL bio-oil from microalgae: A review," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 810-822.
    7. Blanco, Herib & Gómez Vilchez, Jonatan J. & Nijs, Wouter & Thiel, Christian & Faaij, André, 2019. "Soft-linking of a behavioral model for transport with energy system cost optimization applied to hydrogen in EU," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    8. Nancy Diaz-Elsayed & Jiayi Hua & Nader Rezaei & Qiong Zhang, 2023. "A Decision Framework for Designing Sustainable Wastewater-Based Resource Recovery Schemes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-27, February.
    9. Zhu, Kai & Li, Xueqiang & Campana, Pietro Elia & Li, Hailong & Yan, Jinyue, 2018. "Techno-economic feasibility of integrating energy storage systems in refrigerated warehouses," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 216(C), pages 348-357.
    10. Stefan Arens & Sunke Schlüters & Benedikt Hanke & Karsten von Maydell & Carsten Agert, 2020. "Sustainable Residential Energy Supply: A Literature Review-Based Morphological Analysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-28, January.
    11. Stergios Statharas & Yannis Moysoglou & Pelopidas Siskos & Pantelis Capros, 2021. "Simulating the Evolution of Business Models for Electricity Recharging Infrastructure Development by 2030: A Case Study for Greece," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-24, April.
    12. Adam Masłoń & Joanna Czarnota & Paulina Szczyrba & Aleksandra Szaja & Joanna Szulżyk-Cieplak & Grzegorz Łagód, 2024. "Assessment of Energy Self-Sufficiency of Wastewater Treatment Plants—A Case Study from Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-19, March.
    13. Bailera, Manuel & Lisbona, Pilar & Romeo, Luis M. & Espatolero, Sergio, 2017. "Power to Gas projects review: Lab, pilot and demo plants for storing renewable energy and CO2," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 292-312.
    14. Ihsan Hamawand & Anas Ghadouani & Jochen Bundschuh & Sara Hamawand & Raed A. Al Juboori & Sayan Chakrabarty & Talal Yusaf, 2017. "A Critical Review on Processes and Energy Profile of the Australian Meat Processing Industry," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-29, May.
    15. Ali, Syed Muhammad Hassan & Lenzen, Manfred & Sack, Fabian & Yousefzadeh, Moslem, 2020. "Electricity generation and demand flexibility in wastewater treatment plants: Benefits for 100% renewable electricity grids," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 268(C).
    16. Li, Danyang & Chen, Wenying, 2019. "TIMES modeling of the large-scale popularization of electric vehicles under the worldwide prohibition of liquid vehicle sales," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 254(C).
    17. Mohamed, Badr A. & O'Boyle, Marnie & Li, Loretta Y., 2023. "Co-pyrolysis of sewage sludge with lignocellulosic and algal biomass for sustainable liquid and gaseous fuel production: A life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 346(C).
    18. Bosetti, Valentina & Longden, Thomas, 2013. "Light duty vehicle transportation and global climate policy: The importance of electric drive vehicles," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 209-219.
    19. Abdur Rehman Mazhar & Shuli Liu & Ashish Shukla, 2018. "A Key Review of Non-Industrial Greywater Heat Harnessing," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-34, February.
    20. Niblick, Briana & Landis, Amy E., 2016. "Assessing renewable energy potential on United States marginal and contaminated sites," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 489-497.

    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:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:8:p:2088-:d:348630. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.