RESOURCE EFFICIENCY

Although wastewater treatment plants account for less than 1% of national energy consumption, they are among the main consumers of electrical energy in municipalities. The energy demand of wastewater treatment plants depends on many factors, such as wastewater volume and pollutant load, process technology, type of sludge treatment and specific site conditions. In relation to the average load of wastewater treatment plants, specific consumption values of electrical energy result between about 20 and 60 kWh/(PE·a) for an entire plant or between 12 and 30 kWh/(PE·a) for the biological treatment.

Based on numerous energy analyses, the participation in the guideline DWA A 216 and the NRW Energy Manual, FiW has the relevant expertise for the energy optimization of municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants. For the successful energy optimization, a systematic analysis of the design and the current operating conditions as well as a comprehensive energy analysis are required. As a result, recommendations for energy savings with performance estimates as well as performance and cost comparison calculations are provided. On this basis, the implementation of measures can be prioritized.

Adapted solutions for the (partial) desalination of various waters and the further development of innovative treatment technologies in the wastewater sector are among our core competencies. With our projects, we contribute to the sustainable use of global resources and pursue the guiding principle of a circular economy. The overlapping of the globally increasing water demand of population, industry and agriculture as well as a partly significantly reduced water supply due to climatic influences represents a widespread field of tension, which also increasingly leads to political and social conflicts. At FiW, we develop solutions for the specialized topic of resource efficiency that are appropriate to the local technical and sociocultural context.