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All the water used in Bucharest and some communes in Ilfov, including domestic, industrial, and rainwater, arrives at the Glina wastewater treatment plant. That's almost 8 cubic meters of water every second.
The wastewater treatment process daily produces 300 tons of sludge. While this is considered waste by many treatment plants across the country, here it's seen as a resource. Instead of disposing of the sludge, Apa Nova București, part of the Veolia group, recovers it, allows it to ferment, and then extracts biogas. Since this biogas contains 64% methane, which gives it calorific value, it is burned and used as a source of electrical and thermal energy.
Alex Vasilescu, Director of Wastewater Treatment at Apa Nova/Veolia Romania: "With the help of biogas and its use in the energy production process, the Glina wastewater treatment plant is currently the largest producer of green energy in the metropolitan area of the capital. This practically means that we are completely independent in terms of providing the necessary thermal energy for the smooth operation of the processes taking place here at the plant."
Biogas from Sludge
Since 2011, when Veolia took over the operation of the Glina wastewater treatment plant, the company's main objective has been to become energy self-sufficient, as Valentin Zaharia, the company’s technical director, tells us. Therefore, biogas production was the first and most important measure to achieve this goal. But not the only one.
"Secondly, energy recovery from discharge into the natural emissary, through a micro-hydroelectric power plant. Another important source of electrical energy. Thus, with these two measures (editor's note: biogas plus hydropower), we will ensure approximately 80% of energy self-sufficiency until the incinerator and new biological lines are put into operation." (Valentin Zaharia, Technical and Performance Director, Veolia Romania)
This energy and thermal independence cost the company 6 million euros. However, the investment was recovered in approximately 3 years, because the company no longer paid for the thermal and electricity required for its own facilities.
However, most wastewater treatment plants do not have such funds. Nor do they try to obtain European or national funds made available for this purpose. For this reason, they send 56% of the sludge they generate directly to landfills.
But biogas could be obtained not only by companies dealing with wastewater treatment but by any company that manages municipal waste.
"On the one hand, it gives you a competitive advantage over other market players. But it also represents an extremely profitable source of long-term income.
The environmental component is also very important, of course. Because, practically, by obtaining this biogas from waste, whatever its nature, you contribute significantly to decarbonization, to reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere, obviously using green energy from renewable sources," says Alex Vasilescu, Director of the Wastewater Treatment Department at Apa Nova.
Fertilizer for Agriculture
After biogas extraction, the sludge is reused again at Glina. It is dehydrated and becomes fertilizer for industrial agriculture. That is, for crops of hemp, soy, or other plants not intended directly for human consumption.
Only 24% of the treatment sludge produced in Romania is used in agriculture. Hundreds of thousands of tons of sludge are simply considered waste and end up suffocating landfills. Landfills that are already too few, too full, and non-compliant.
The video report on how wastewater can be utilized is episode 7 of the "Second Life. Circular Economy Models" campaign, initiated by Asociația Soluții Sustenabile, with the support of Stratos and Eco Synergy, with the aim of inspiring the business community to transition from a linear to a circular business model as quickly and easily as possible.
Here you can watch episode 1, on Waste: From waste to raw material, through innovation
Here you can see episode 2, dedicated to Construction: Profit from rubble
Here, episode 3, dedicated to Packaging: Goodbye single-use packaging
Here, episode 4, dedicated to the Textile Industry: Better designed clothes, less discarded
Here, episode 5, on Sustainable Agriculture: Hemp, a strategic crop
Here, episode 6, on Electrical and Electronic Equipment: The New Eco Design
