PhosphoGreen™Experiences and success

story

Agenda

• PhosphoGreen™ – Presentation– Background for problems & solution– Background of concept (partnership)– Technology Concept & pictures – Cases from Aarhus and Herning– Circular economy

Presentation

• Peter Balslev, wastewater specialist– Aarhus Vand A/S– Suez Water A/S

Suez Water A/S Aarhus Vand A/SRugaardsvej 5, 8680 Ry, Denmark Bautavej 1, 8210 Aarhus V, DenmarkTel: +4569156600 Mobile/Direct: +45 40577390 mail; peb@aarhusvand.dk mail; peb@aarhusvand.dk

Problems

Piping

4

Digester wall

50 m3 "sand" in digester

5

Problems (continued)

Scaling in old pumps

Mass balance, 0% recovery - “before situation"

66

Digester

R/A

Final dewat.

inlet

100

141 outlet

4

rejekt

36

132

Sludge

96

Pre-dewater

Pct. of inlet total-P

96%

Return sludge

5

137

4%

Iron chloride

41

Solution

3 steps upscaling

Pilot testing

Lab testing

Full scale testing

Mass balance, 30% recovery - “after situation"

88

Digester

R/A

Final dewater

inlet

100

110 outlet

4

reject

36

101

Sludge

66

Pre-dewater

Pct. of inlet total-P

66%

Return sludge

5

106

4%

Iron chloride

PhosphoGreen™

5

36%

9

Analysis, dewatered sludge

sep-13 dec-13 jan-140.00%

1.00%

2.00%

3.00%

4.00%

5.00%

6.00%

total-NTotal-P

Less phosphorus in sludge

Danish P recovery technologyPartnership and development in Denmark 2012-2015

Objective• Providing a full value-chain for P recovery solutionChallenge• In 2010 Aarhus Water (Denmark) experienced problems with heavy struvite

formations in digester, pipes etc.• A partnership was formed to solve the problem

Process, design, technology

Water utilities companies facing a challenge

Agricultural Knowledge Centre approval of P product as fertilizer

PhosphoGreen™Functionality

Process control• Magnesium chloride is dosed flow

proportional into the reactor inlet together with inlet reject water , dosing is regulated by lab samples of PO4 weekly, or by online PO4 sensor

• NaOH is dosed into the reactor controlled by pH measurement – to keep pH value around 7.5, controlled by pH meter

• Air lift pump secures internal recirculationas well as CO2 stripping (pH control)

• Internal recirculation pump secures up flow velocity (flow measurements and VLTon pumps)

Financial Sustainability of P recoveryValue creation (Herning example)

Financial balance at 45 % P recovery (in €/y)• Operational costs are approx.:

75 600 • Savings are calculated/estimated to: 101 500 • Income from sales of struvite is:

49 100 • The resulting net income is

75 000

Return of investment?• The investment cost (as sales price) for the P

recovery plant was €465 000• ROI of approx. 6.2 years when operating on both

sources of reject waters, and reaching 45 % total P recovery

• With ROI approx. 7 years P recovery is a sustainable investment for many water utilities

• Decision is taken to commercialize the concept!

Cost Unit ValueElectricity Euro/year 6 100

MgCl2 ” 50 700

NaOH ” 6 700

O&M ” 12 100

Total costs to operate ” 75 600

SavingsFerric chloride (P removal) ” 53 300

Polymer(sludge dewatering) ” 2 000

Electricity (less nitrification) ” 3 900

Sludge disposal (less volume) ” 16 000

Biogas (more production) ” 5 600

Less struvit fighting (O&M costs)

” 20 700

Total Saving for WWTP ” 101 500

IncomeSales of struvit/ MAP (350€/t) ” 49 100

PhosphoGreen™ PhosphorCare™Concept commercialization

• First the concept was validated for technical stability and positive business case.

• “Water Contractor companies” were selected to sell the solutions in Denmark and abroad:– Stjernholm generally in Denmark (under name Phos4Cone™) in

cooperation with SUEZ Water on larger projects– SUEZ generally abroad (PhosphoGreen™)

Value making of PhosphorCare™ fertilizer

PhosphorCare™ Agricultural tests 2014-15• Corn and Rye growth tests• Classification of PhosphorCare™ as fertilizer.• “Farm-tests” for handling and use.• Target: to form a consolidated method of how and where to use

PhosphorCare™

PhosphorCare™ Approval 2014• Application for approval issued Q1 2014• Approval from Danish national EPA and Ministry of agriculture

and food obtained Q3 2014• REACH registration Q4 2014

Sales channel• Kongerslev Kalk has signed a 2 year agreement with Aarhus Vand

and Herning Vand for the distribution and sales of PhosphorCare• Aarhus Vand and Herning Vand is open for new water companies

to join their sales group• SUEZ Water is working on a road map to establish struvite import from

France to Denmark / Kongerslev Photo: Kongerslev Kalk’s bag proposition

Quality of struvite, Aarhus plant

no heavy metals!

Sludge Struvite 3 samples

Land application in DK.

DM % 23,7N % of DM 5,4P % of DM 3,22N % of sample 5,8

P % of sample 12,3

Mg % of sample 10,3

Cd mg/kg 0,9 <0,02 0.8Hg mg/kg 0,5 <0,1 0.8Pb mg/kg 23 <0,2 120Ni mg/kg 24,4 0,3 30Cr mg/kg 17,1 <0,1 100Zn mg/kg 580 2,7 4000Cu mg/kg 230 0,7 1000

Cd mg/kgP 28 <0,16 100Hg mg/kgP 16 <0,8 200Pb mg/kgP 714 <1,67 10000Ni mg/kgP 758 2,7 2500

Application of PhosphoGreenTM in the process line

application field• WWTP capacity > 40,000 PE• biological phosphorus removal• anaerobic digestion• phosphorus conc. in digested

sludge centrates ≥ 70 mg/L

anaerobic digestion

PhosphoGreenTM

dewatering

primary and/or

secondary sludgesludge cakefor disposal

water back to the headworks

struvite

Front view of reactors and plant

Bottom part of the reactor and recycle pump

Recycle pump

Drying of struvite product

Screening of struvite product

Silo and bagging of final product

PhosphoGreen™ Summary Advantages of investment

• Innovative & effective reject water treatment solution

• Combines well with Anammox treatment• Overall OPEX Cost advantage• “Green Image” phosphorus recovery and reuse• ROI can be around 7 years depending on plant

Value creation• No or very reduced clogging problems• Reduced chemical use for chemical P removal• Reduced costs for sludge dewatering(polymer)• Reduced energy uptake for nitrification• Less sludge produced• A fertilizer with high value: Struvite• Residual sludge with better N:P balance

The product is approx. 2 mm pellets ready for use as fertilizer

P=12,5%N=5,5%Mg= 10%

Photo Reactors

PhosphoGreen™Cyclic & sustainable

Aarhus, Denmark, 201370,000 PE

Our references:Herning, Denmark, 2015150,000 PE