Title: Review on technologies for improving energy efficiency of wastewater treatment plants: the case of the Hellenic water supply and sewerage company (EYATH SA)

Authors: Effrosyni Giama; Aikaterini Christodoulou; Agis Papadopoulos

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece ' Water Supply and Sewerage Company (EYATH SA), 54627 Thessaloniki, Greece ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

Abstract: Water is a natural resource as well as a key issue for all European economies, strongly related to climate change. This paper presents the different technologies which can ensure energy upgrade and reduction of CO₂ emissions in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) focusing mainly in energy efficiency upgrade which is prerequisite for the reduction of CO₂. Also, within the goals of this paper, a rating methodology is described based on water treatment energy index (WTEI) and parameters such as effluent flow, nutrient removal, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), suspended solids, orthophosphate (PO₄^3-), ammonia (NH₄⁺) and nitrate (NH₄^-) are estimated and determined at various stages of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Finally, a quantitative evaluation of WTEI in Thessaloniki Water Supply and Treatment Company, Greece, is presented as a case study, benchmarking energy and water treatment indicators to evaluate the energy efficiency and the effect of water to the nexus complex.

Keywords: wastewater treatment plants; WWTPs; water-energy indicators; energy efficiency; circular economy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGW.2023.132281

International Journal of Global Warming, 2023 Vol.30 No.4, pp.451 - 465

Received: 12 Jul 2022
Received in revised form: 12 Feb 2023
Accepted: 19 Feb 2023
Published online: 14 Jul 2023 *

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