A Review of Renewable Energy Technologies in Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs)

被引:2
|
作者
Lima, Derick [1 ]
Li, Li [1 ]
Appleby, Gregory [2 ]
机构
[1] Univ Technol Sydney, Sch Elect & Data Engn, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
[2] Sydney Water Corp, Sydney, NSW 2124, Australia
关键词
wastewater treatment plants (WWTP); renewable energy resources; sewage sludge; DRIED SEWAGE-SLUDGE; ANAEROBIC CO-DIGESTION; MICROBIAL ELECTROLYSIS CELL; HEAD HYDROPOWER TECHNOLOGIES; FLUIDIZED-BED GASIFICATION; PANEL AIR-CATHODE; SUPERCRITICAL WATER; BIO-OIL; HYDROTHERMAL LIQUEFACTION; BIODIESEL PRODUCTION;
D O I
10.3390/en17236084
中图分类号
TE [石油、天然气工业]; TK [能源与动力工程];
学科分类号
0807 ; 0820 ;
摘要
The global trend towards sustainable development has included the implementation of renewable energy recovery technologies in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). WWTPs are energy-intensive consumers with high operational costs and often are dependent from the electricity supplied by the main grid. In this context, the integration of renewable energy recovery technologies into WWTPs emerges as an environment-friendly strategy that enhances energy efficiency, sustainability and reduces energy operating costs. Renewable energy recovery technologies, such as anaerobic digestion, microbial fuel cells, and sludge gasification, can offer multiple benefits for a WWTP. Anaerobic digestion is the most widely adopted technology due to its efficiency in treating sewage sludge and its ability to generate biogas-a valuable renewable energy source. The use of biogas can offset the energy demands of the wastewater treatment process, potentially leading to energy self-sufficiency for the WWTP and a reduction in reliance from the electricity supply from the main grid. Similarly, microbial fuel cells harness the electrochemical activity of bacteria to produce electricity directly from wastewater, presenting a promising alternative for low-energy processes for sustainable power generation. Gasification of sewage sludge is a promising technology for managing municipal sewage sludge, offering key advantages, especially by generating a renewable energy production (sludge is converted into syngas), which further decreases the sludge volume and operating costs with sludge management, helps to eliminate odour associated with sewage sludge, and effectively destroys the pathogens. Adoption of renewable energy sources in WWTPs can be a great alternative to overcome issues of high operating costs and high dependency of electricity from the main grid, but their successful integration requires addressing challenges such as technological maturity, economic feasibility, and regulatory frameworks. This study aims to comprehensively explore the significance of different renewable energy technologies in municipal WWTPs, including site-specific and non-site-specific sources, evaluating their impact on sustainability, energy efficiency, and overall operational effectiveness. This review also highlights some studies in which different strategies were adopted to generate extra revenue and/or reduce operating costs. Through a comprehensive review of current practices and emerging technologies, this study underscores the transformative potential of these innovations in advancing low-emission wastewater management.
引用
收藏
页数:52
相关论文
共 50 条
  • [41] Technical Effectiveness of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants
    Przybyla, Czeslaw
    Bykowski, Jerzy
    Filipiak, Janusz
    ROCZNIK OCHRONA SRODOWISKA, 2009, 11 : 231 - 239
  • [42] Toxicity reduction at municipal wastewater treatment plants
    Neiheisel, T.W.
    Horning II, W.B.
    Austern, B.M.
    Bishop, D.F.
    Reed, T.L.
    Estenik, J.F.
    Journal of the Water Pollution Control Federation, 1988, 60 (01): : 57 - 67
  • [43] Research advances in deriving renewable energy from biomass in wastewater treatment plants
    Zhang, Yuan-kai
    Liu, Xiu-hong
    Liu, Xiao-wei
    Zha, Yi-fei
    Xu, Xiang-long
    Ren, Zheng-guang
    Jiang, Hang-cheng
    Wang, Hong-chen
    RSC ADVANCES, 2016, 6 (61) : 55903 - 55918
  • [44] Small municipal wastewater treatment plants in Greece
    Tsagarakis, KP
    Mara, DD
    Horan, NJ
    Angelakis, AN
    WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, 2000, 41 (01) : 41 - 48
  • [45] REDUCING WATER FOOTPRINT OF WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS USING RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
    Robescu, L. D.
    JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND ECOLOGY, 2019, 20 (02): : 880 - 885
  • [46] A systematic review on the occurrence and removal of microplastics during municipal wastewater treatment plants
    Asadi, Anvar
    Khodadoost, Faranak
    Daglioglu, Nebile
    Eris, Setareh
    ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING RESEARCH, 2025, 30 (02)
  • [47] Removal of Natural Estrogens and Their Conjugates in Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants: A Critical Review
    Liu, Ze-hua
    Lu, Gui-ning
    Yin, Hua
    Dang, Zhi
    Rittmann, Bruce
    ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, 2015, 49 (09) : 5288 - 5300
  • [48] Potential Source Environments for Microbial Communities in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) in China
    Zhang B.
    Wu L.-W.
    Wen X.-H.
    Huanjing Kexue/Environmental Science, 2019, 40 (08): : 3699 - 3705
  • [49] Energy efficiency of the municipal wastewater treatment
    Pitas, Viktoria
    Fazekas, Bence
    Banyai, Zsuzsanna
    Karpati, Arpad
    JOURNAL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY, 2010, 150 : S163 - S164
  • [50] Enhanced denitrification and power generation of municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) effluents with biomass in microbial fuel cell coupled with constructed wetland
    Tao, Mengni
    Guan, Lin
    Jing, Zhaoqian
    Tao, Zhengkai
    Wang, Yue
    Luo, Hui
    Wang, Yin
    SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT, 2020, 709