Bioenergetics: Open Access

Abstract

Membrane bioreactor operation?past achievements and future challenges

Christoph Brepols Erftverband ,Germany

The river water association, Erftverband looks back on two decades of experience in design and operation of municipal membrane bioreactors (MBR) in the Erft river catchment in Germany. During that time MBR operations have been monitored scientifically and process optimizations have taken place. For example between 2010 and 2015 the specific energy consumption of Nordkanal MBR (80,000 population equivalents) was cut down from 0.94 kWh/m³ to 0.63 kWh/m³ wastewater treated (see figure 1) while membrane filters remain in continuous operation since 2004. With that background, Erftverband sees a promising potential of MBR in the future development of wastewater treatment not only in the Erft river catchment but the energy consumption at Nordkanal MBR will be further reduced. Construction works for primary clarification and anaerobic sludge treatment started
in February, 2017.

Published Date: 2021-03-27; Received Date: 2021-03-10