Hydropower Technology for Sustainable Energy Generation in Wastewater Systems: Learning from the Experience

Abstract

Hydropower is a well-known technology, applied worldwide for electricity generation from renewable sources. Within the current framework, some studies have started to consider its application to existing urban water systems, to harness an excess of energy that otherwise would be wasted. This research sought to determine a methodology to assess the potential of hydropower application to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), regarding different aspects of sustainability. Firstly, previously developed methodologies for potential assessment in this sector at a country level were analyzed. Secondly, data from existing real case studies were gathered from publicly available documents and a theoretical analysis of their actual performance was conducted to validate assumptions made in the previous methodologies. As a result, the proposed new approach suggests adapting methodologies for potential assessment at a lower level, considering possible driving factors, other than economic feasibility. To define the study area, the management model scope should be considered. The power to determine the cut-off point for a WWTP to be considered as a potential site, is proposed to be lowered according to technical feasibility. Additionally, bearing in mind the sustainability concept, social or environmental factors should also be introduced in the methodology, tailored to the region being assessed. This novel perspective could provide a closer approach to the most likely decision-making level for these kinds of strategies in the wastewater industry.

Is There a Residual and Hidden Potential for Small and Micro Hydropower in Europe? A Screening-Level Regional Assessment

“…The cost of hydropower plants in WWTPs can be assumed ranging between 0.1 and 0.3 €/kWh (Bousquet et al 2015), with a potential of 0.38 TWh/y in the EU+UK. We considered 8,760 of annual operating hours: for WDNs this can be considered quite reasonable, since the flow is almost constant throughout the year, while the average capacity factor of SHPs in WWTPs is 35% (Llácer-Iglesias et al 2021). Therefore, the hydropower technical potential from WWTPs in EU+UK reduces to 136 GWh.…”

Assessment of a Francis Micro Hydro Turbine Performance Installed in a Wastewater Treatment Plant

“…For comparison, according to data cited by Chae et al (2015) [7], the hydropower potential of 15 WWTPs in South Korea with a daily wastewater volume of more than 20,000 m 3 and a head of more than 2 m is 11 GW. From a review study by Llácer-Iglesias (2021) [62], which considered 49 hydropower plants in WWTPs, it appears that the installed capacity of operating hydropower plants in WWTPs is low, up to 4.5 MW. The dominant countries in the application of these technologies are Switzerland and South Korea, as mentioned above.…”

Wastewater treatment plant and enhancing renewable energy production towards achieving environmental sustainability

“…This could help WWTPs migrate to energy neutrality. The verve foundations in altered gages display drive norms that were introduced along with wastewater [5]. In the presence of distilled water and synthetic color solutions at 60 o C, however, one distilled water and synthetic dye solution are required for genuine textile wastewater [18,35].…”

“…Watered farming accounts for a million, in 279 hectares or for land for the crop is 19% according to [4] (we have had an increase in hectares as four million when various crops/cropping intensity are taken into account), but it accounts for the output of agriculture is 40%. It is expected that the global population might reach 9 billion by 2050 at the same time due to water quality degradation and overexploitation, the limited readily available freshwater supplies in lakes, shallow groundwater aquifers, and rivers are deteriorating [5]. The resource and plea for water statistics are astounding: About 29 countries with a population of around 450 million people experience acute shortage [6]; approximately by 2025, about twenty percent of water will be required to nurse the increase of additional 3 billion individuals.…”