Managing the Risk of Embracing Disruptive Technology Julian Sandino PhD, PE, BCEE, IWA & WEF Fellow May 2016
Wastewater management evolution through time < 1900 1950 2000 Basic Sanitation Pollution Control And Sludge Disposal Water Reclamation & Biosolids Management? 2 2015_WWGST_General_PPT_Template_00.pptx
The future of urban wastewater management Today s projects must address current challenges, but do so anticipating tomorrows issues WERF Technology Roadmap Workshop : Looking forward 40 years water quality, energy, community values 30 attendees from USA, Canada, Europe, Singapore 3 3 2015_WWGST_General_PPT_Template_00.pptx
WERF Workshop: Visioning the Plant of the Future What effluent/reuse quality will be needed in 2040? What will be the common treatment technologies? What will be the community expectations? What research and breakthroughs are needed WWTPs truly sustainable? Source: Timebandits.wordpress.com 4 2015_WWGST_General_PPT_Template_00.pptx
Attributes of the envisioned plant of the future Highly stringent regulatory requirements Carbon neutral; energy self-sufficient Centralized anddecentralized systems Fully automated, minimum human operational interface Resource recovery center Water: Advance reuse (centralized plants for potable; decentralized for non-potable) Mining of inorganics: P, N and S Energy: biosolids, hydroelectric, thermal 5 2015_WWGST_General_PPT_Template_00.pptx
Wastewater management evolution through time? < 1900 1950 2000 Basic Sanitation Pollution Control And Sludge Disposal Water Reclamation & Biosolids Management Resource Recovery from Used Water 6 2015_WWGST_General_PPT_Template_00.pptx
Scenario planning: How do we get from Nowto an uncertain Then Technology Attributes Optimized Liquid Process Resources recovered Energy selfsufficient Technology Pathways WRRFs Future A. Restrictive Regulations B. Sustainability Embraced C. Engaged Stakeholders Minimal solids for disposal 7 2015_WWGST_General_PPT_Template_00.pptx 7
Technological approaches from the past unlikely to meet future water cycle needs. Population, Billion 10.0 9.0 8.0 7.0 6.0 5.0 4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.0 2050: ~ 9 Billion, 70% urban; constrained resources, changed climate 1950: ~2 Billion, 70% rural, ample resources, predictable climate 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 2100 Year 8 2015_WWGST_General_PPT_Template_00.pptx
Disruptive Technology: doing things very differently? Wikipedia Cell phones Mobile internet Internet of things Cloud Autonomous vehicles 3D printing Renewable energy?.. 9 2015_WWGST_General_PPT_Template_00.pptx
?but isn t adopting unproven technologies risky? Risk is unavoidable in facing an uncertain future? but it can be managed There is an inherent risk betting that yesterdays technology pathways will also apply for tomorrows undefined challenges Adopt a staged implementation strategy, based on incremental no regrets steps and frequent reassessment 10 2015_WWGST_General_PPT_Template_00.pptx
Case Study, VCS Denmark 11 2015_WWGST_OAQM_PPT_Template_03.pptx
VandCenter Syd (VCS) Established in 1853 as first modern waterworks in Denmark 3 rd largest water and wastewater company, Headquartered in Odense. Operates 7 WTPs and 8 WWTPs with 2,125 miles (3,400 km) of conveyance 12 2015_WWGST_General_PPT_Template_00.pptx
Ejby MølleWWTP 385,000 PE BNR facility 76% energy self-sufficient in 2011 13 2015_WWGST_General_PPT_Template_00.pptx
Ejby Mølle WWTP Trickling Filters Headworks Primary Clarifiers Filtration WAS Thickening Secondary Treatment Energy Generation Anaerobic Digestion Dewatering 14 2015_WWGST_General_PPT_Template_00.pptx
Ejby MølleWWTP energy optimization project: achieving energy self-sufficiency primarily through collaborative process optimization Contribute towards achieving VCS s corporate goal of energy self-sufficiency and carbon neutrality by 2014. Involve staff at all levels in defining and implementing recommendations Identify energy optimization opportunities (EOOs): concentrate on short-term, readily implementable scenarios to reduce consumption and/or increase generation, decreasing GHG emissions Identify and document all options, including longer term opportunitiesfor positive net energy status for future consideration 15 2015_WWGST_General_PPT_Template_00.pptx
Availability of detailed historic energy consumption and generation data was key in the evaluation of optimization opportunities Ejby Mølle WWTP 2011 Annual Average Electricity Consumption Anaerobic Digestion 3.83% Sludge Storage 1.56% Thickening/Dewatering Screen, Grit, and Grease Centrifuges 3.88% 6.44% Other 5.59% Primary TreatmentPumping to 3.09% Trickling Filters 2.15% Pumping to Activated Sludge 5.80% Activated Sludge -Other 0.24% Activated Sludge - WAS Pumping 0.22% Activated Sludge - RAS Pumping 0.86% Activated Sludge - Oxidation Ditch Mixing 2.09% Effluent Filters 10.43% Activated Sludge - Oxidation Ditch Aeration 39.35% Trickling Filters - Stage 2 pumping 7.30% Trickling Filters - Recirculation pumping 4.73% Trickling Filters - WAS/Humus Pumping 0.01% Trickling Filters -Return Pumping to Act Sludge 0.64% Activated Sludge - Anaerobic Zone Mixers 1.78% 16 2015_WWGST_General_PPT_Template_00.pptx
A whole plant mass/energy model and screening criteria lead to an EOO short-list Adopted screening criteria Readily implementable; Primarily process modifications Significant impact on energy profile; Proven elsewhere Short-listed EOOs Implement chemical enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) Operate at shorter BNR system solids retention time (SRT) Decommission TFs and convert TF clarifiers to CEPT for wet weather treatment Reduce effluent filtration operation to 12 hours per day Longer term Improvements for positive net energy status Co-digestion of high strength waste Implement deammonification for N removal in sidestreams by with mainstream later Replace oxidation ditch mechanical aerators with fine bubble diffused aeration 17 2015_WWGST_General_PPT_Template_00.pptx
Model identified path to energy neutrality and beyond?. Energy Produced 2011 Additional Energy Produced All Operational EOOs + Anammox + Diffusers All Operational EOOs Chemically Enhanced Primary Treatment Partial Effluent Filtration Lower Bioreactor Sludge Age No Trickling Filters Energy Self-Sufficiency Existing Condition (Baseline) 75% 80% 85% 90% 95% 100%105%110%115%120% 18 2015_WWGST_General_PPT_Template_00.pptx
Implementation of several EOOs achieved energy self- sufficiency by the end of 2013 9,000,000 8,000,000 7,000,000 6,000,000 5,000,000 4,000,000 3,000,000 2,000,000 1,000,000 kwh/year - 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Electrical Energy Production Usage 25,000,000 20,000,000 15,000,000 10,000,000 Production Usage 5,000,000 Electrical + Heat Energy kwh/year - 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 19 2015_WWGST_General_PPT_Template_00.pptx
Key to energy surplus: adopting deammonification as a disruptive technology Deammonification: Two-step, biologically mediated conversion of ammonia to nitrogen gas Partial nitritation + anammox Nitritation: NH 4 + O 2 NO 2 Anammox: Catabolic / Energy Reaction: NH 4+ + NO 2- N 2 + 2 H 2 O Anabolism / Growth Reaction: NH 4+ + CO 2 biomass + NO 3-20 2015_WWGST_General_PPT_Template_00.pptx
Background on Deammonification NITRIFICATION Aerobic, Autotrophic 1 mol Nitrate (NO 3- ) DENITRIFICATION Anoxic, Heterotrophic 40% Carbon 25% O 2 1 mol Nitrite (NO 2- ) 1 mol Nitrite (NO 2- ) 60% Carbon 38% O 2 1 mol Ammonia (NH 3 / NH 4 + ) Anammox bacteria ½ mol Nitrogen Gas (N 2 ) 21 2015_WWGST_General_PPT_Template_00.pptx
Where are the potential savings with deammonification? Aeration Energy for Ammonia Removal: ~ 60% lower than conventional Carbon Requirements for TN Removal: Not required: enables carbon redirection (energy and/or biop?) ph / Alkalinity: No supplemental alkalinity required Now over 100 sidestream treatment systems world-wide using deammonification technology 22 2015_WWGST_General_PPT_Template_00.pptx
Deammonification provided sustainable sidestream N management Mainstream Sidestream hydrocyclones deammonification reactors 23 2015_WWGST_General_PPT_Template_00.pptx
Mainstream deammonification was easily added on AOB Seed Dewatering Centrate CEPT DEMON Reactors Anammox Seed Mainstream hydrocyclones Influent Primary Clarifiers Bioreactor (aerobic/anoxic) Effluent WAS 24 2015_WWGST_General_PPT_Template_00.pptx
Seeding of anammox granules and mainstream WAS cyclones improved MLSS settleability WAS Cyclones Only With Anammox Seed WAS Cyclone Start-up DEMON Sidestream Start-up Anammox seeding from DEMON tomainstream begins; and SRT is reduced 25 2015_WWGST_General_PPT_Template_00.pptx
Managing risk while embracing disruptive technologies summary thoughts Leadership must articulate a vision for the future be bold! An empowered, motivated, and accountable staff must: take responsibility for tomorrow as well legacy! be involved in planning andimplementing buy in! Current conditions must be fully understood benchmark! Degree of optimization potential of existing solutions must be established- Tweak! Consider non-traditional approaches to bridge gaps disrupt! Implement changes incrementally and reassess frequently no regrets! Learn from others while sharing results collaborate! Non-compliance is unacceptable, always have a Plan B contingency! 26 2015_WWGST_General_PPT_Template_00.pptx
Managing the Risk of Embracing Disruptive Technology Julian Sandino PhD, PE, BCEE, IWA & WEF Fellow May 2016