Energy efficiency and nutrient removal performance: comparison between several types of activated sludge process

Abstract

The operation of a wastewater treatment plant entails a huge amount of electricity. The majority of energy inputs are consumed by aeration systems to support biological processes for treated wastewater. Urban wastewater treatment plants are energy-intensive facilities that consume significant amounts of energy. For conventional activated sludge systems, 25% to 60% of the operating costs are associated with energy use. Malaysia’s wastewater treatment plants have fallen short in terms of technological advancement in the sewerage industry. The goal of this research is to analyse and make a comparison of the capabilities of the sequencing batch reactor (SBR) and other activated sludge (AS) system treatment plants in Selangor, Malaysia. High energy electricity consumption was an important issue that affected the operational cost and development of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). The result and discussion for the analysis had been presented into comparison result for each objective of this research studied which was to determine lowest energy efficiency, to assess highest nutrient removal efficiency and compliance rate for each WWTP process plant. This paper presents best practices that can be implemented and adapted by operators in their pursuit of energy and reduce cost or expenses in the sewage treatment plant.