Energy conservation in wastewater treatment operation a case study at Himmerfjärden wwtp
Swedish wastewater treatment plants’ energy usage equals a total of 0.6 TWh per year. Together with the Swedish drinking water treatment, the usage corresponds to approximately 1 % of the total electrical energy consumption in Sweden. Potentials for a reduction of this usage do exist. However, very modest efforts for energy usage conservation are attempted.
In a master thesis presented in 2006 by the authors of this article, the potential of energy conservation at Himmerfjärden WWTP was investigated. The thesis establishes a general methodology for performing an energy conservation project at any wastewater treatment plant. The methodology is then applied to the actual wastewater treatment plant, Himmerfjärden WWTP. Results when performing the energy conservation project and recommendations for future measures are presented.
The thesis clearly shows the existence of a potential for reducing energy usage in wastewater treatment operation, not necessarily implying a negative impact on the quality of the process.