Evaluating the Potential of Renewable Energy Sources in a Full-Scale Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor Treating Municipal Wastewater in Ghana

Wastewater management remains a major challenge in developing countries due to the lack of adequate infrastructure, making the need for economically viable and efficient technologies that can be sustained by emerging economies imperative. The upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor represents...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainability 2023-02, Vol.15 (4), p.3743
Main Authors: Arthur, Philomina Mamley Adantey, Konaté, Yacouba, Sawadogo, Boukary, Sagoe, Gideon, Dwumfour-Asare, Bismark, Ahmed, Issahaku, Bayitse, Richard, Ampomah-Benefo, Kofi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alternative energy sources
Anaerobic treatment
Biogas
Biomass energy
Byproducts
Calorific value
Central business districts
Chemical composition
Chemical oxygen demand
Climate change
Composition
Dehydration
Developing countries
Dry matter
Effluents
Energy demand
Energy development
Energy recovery
Energy resources
Energy sources
Gases
LDCs
Methane
Municipal wastewater
Purification
Reactors
Renewable energy sources
Renewable resources
Resource recovery
Sanitation
Self sufficiency
Sewage
Sludge
Sludge drying
Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactors
Waste management
Wastewater
Wastewater management
Wastewater treatment
Water treatment
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Summary:Wastewater management remains a major challenge in developing countries due to the lack of adequate infrastructure, making the need for economically viable and efficient technologies that can be sustained by emerging economies imperative. The upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor represents an efficient and low-cost technology that produces by-products from which valuable resources can be recovered. This study assessed the energy recovery potential in the form of electricity from biogas and sludge by-products produced by a full-scale UASB reactor. Biogas production rate and composition were monitored to determine the biogas energy recovery potential. Dehydrated sludge from sludge drying beds was likewise quantified and characterised for its elemental composition, immediate composition, gross calorific value and net calorific value to estimate sludge energy recovery potential. The average daily biogas production was found to be 611 ± 275 Nm3/d, with 65% methane in the biogas output. Average sludge dry matter production was determined to be 358.24 TS kg/d. The net energy recovery potential was estimated to be 534.1 MWh/yr, 36% more than the yearly energy demand (392.7 MWh/yr) of the entire plant. Conservative energy recovery at a UASB-based municipal wastewater treatment facility could serve as a self-supply energy option to support its operations.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su15043743