2012

Case Study

[Aerobic Granular Biomass Technology - NEREDA A
Sustainable Wastewater Treatment Option]

Abid Ali Khan*
1
, Mahmood Ahmad*, Anurag Somvanshi*, Santosh Uppal*, Andreas
Giesen**
*Royal HaskoningDHV India, B-1/I-1, Mohan Co-Operative, Main Mathura Road, New Delhi,
India - 110044
*(Email: [email protected];[email protected];[email protected]
**Royal HaskoningDHV B.V., P.O Box 1132, 3800 BC Amersfoort, The Netherlands, (E-mail:
[email protected])
*
1
Corresponding Author Email: [email protected]

Abstract
Aerobic granular sludge technology can be regarded as a promising and the future standard for industrial
and municipal wastewater treatment. As a consequence, a growing number of institutes and universities
focus their scientific research on this new technology. Recently, after extensive Dutch research and
development effort, an aerobic granular biomass technology has become available to the market. Many
full scale installations for both industrial and municipal applications are already on stream, under
construction or in design stage. The technology is distinguished by the name Nereda and based on the
specific characteristics of aerobic granular sludge to treat wastewater in a batch cyclic sequence of
simultaneous fill and draw, aeration and settling. It can be considered as the first mature aerobic granular
sludge technology applied at full scale. It outcompete traditional activated sludge systems by a
significantly lower use of energy and chemicals, its compactness and its favourable capital and
operational costs.
Keywords: aerobic granular biomass, sustainability, innovative biotechnology, Nereda

RESEARCH BACKGROUD
Conventional activated sludge process (CAS) was considered a benchmark for wastewater
treatment since more than a century around the globe. The process of biological nutrient
removal was complex and required large footprint due to poor settling characteristics. In
order to overcome these shortcomings, scientific research on the fundamentals of aerobic
granular biomass is in progress at several institutes and university focus to work on the
replacement of activated sludge.

Recently, as outcome of extensive Dutch research and development efforts, a new technology
became available and was implemented at pilot and then full scale. Aerobic granular sludge
technology known by trade name Nereda

basically utilizes the specific characteristics of

aerobic granular biomass. It is considered to be the first mature aerobic granular biomass
technology that is applied in practice. It distinguishes itself from traditional activated sludge
systems by a significant lower use of energy and chemicals, its compactness and its lower
investment and operational costs.

Prof. Mark van Loosdrecht and his group at Delft University of Technology was the first to
develop stable aerobic granulation process during the wastewater treatment. Prof. Mark van
Loosdrecht won the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize in year 2012 for his contribution
towards development of concept of sustainable wastewater treatment. Royal HaskoningDHV
in close co-operation with Delft University of Technology transformed the laboratory and
pilot scale research/ or technology into full scale installation during 2006. This required the
adaptation from controlled conditions and artificial feed in a lab to fluctuations in
temperature, diurnal flow patterns and real wastewater as feed source in the real world. It was
a necessary step to mature the innovative technology into an applicable system.

In addition to close collaboration with research institutes, municipal and industrial launching
customers in several countries, a unique public-private partnership (PPP) proved instrumental
in the scale-up of the technology for larger municipal applications. This PPP comprised the
Dutch Foundation for Applied Water Research (STOWA), Delft University of Technology,
Royal HaskoningDHV and six Dutch District Water Boards. At five municipal WWTPs in
the Netherlands intensive pilot research was executed, focusing on granulation and nutrient
removal. The development program was further supported by fundamental research at the
University of Delft and was subsidized by several national and international innovation
programs.

NEREDA

TECHNOLOGY
The mechanisms of the aerobic granule formation are not fully known yet since its
development at research laboratory at Delft University of Technology. However, based on
extensive research, it has been clear that the stable granules can be obtained if sufficient high
sedimentation selection pressure is applied in combination with selection of slow growing
bacteria that produce biopolymers constituting physical matrix of granules. Such crucial
process and operational conditions can be best achieved in Neredas optimized batch
sequence of fill and draw, aeration and settling (see Figure 1), in which fill and draw are
efficiently combined in a first process step. During first step, the influent is fed and effluent is
simultaneously displaced from the reactor at the top under plug flow regime. The granular
biomass properties enable high specific hydraulic loadings. After feeding, the aeration is
started and in this second step a wide range of biological purification processes takes place.
The supplied oxygen will only penetrate into the outside layer of the granule, as it is
consumed by autotrophic- and heterotrophic organisms in that zone. The inside layer of the
granule is anoxic and anaerobic. Subsequently, efficient simultaneous nutrient removal is
achieved without the need for separate oxygen rich and oxygen depleted reactor
compartments: e.g. transport of nitrate or nitrite takes place by diffusion, not by pumping. In
the last step of the cycle the granular biomass is allowed to settle. Since granules have
excellent settling properties, short settling times can be applied, resulting in less downtime.


Figure 1. Schematic view of the Nereda

cycle

DEVELOPMENT OF AEROBIC GRANULAR SLUDGE TECHNOLOGY
Since 2003, at five locations pilot research was executed with municipal waste water. The
pilot plants (see Figure 2) with a capacity of 5 m
3
/h consist of one or two parallel reactors
with height and diameter of 6 m and 0.6 m respectively, equipped with extensive online
monitoring (NH
4
, NO
x
, PO
4
) and process control features.

Figure 2. Pilot-scale unit
In the beginning of the development program, granulation was the most important focus of
research. Figure 3 (left) shows typical characteristics of the aerobic granules where SVI
decreases with time and SVI5 values reaches very close to SVI30.
After mature granules formed, even SVI2 equals the SVI30 and observed in range of 30 to 60
ml/g. Sludge concentrations higher than 10-15 kg MLSS/m
3
are achievable, but for design
purposes in municipal applications a value of 8 kg/m
3
is typically chosen. The photograph in
figure 3 (right) demonstrates clearly the superb settling characteristics of aerobic granules
(left) after only 5 minutes in comparison with activated sludge (right) both samples
containing 4 g/l.



Figure 3. Sludge characteristics and photograph of granules

After the formation of granulation proven, the next target of the pilot level research was to
optimize the nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorous) removal and became the main focus of
research.

For several projects the ambitions with respect to nutrient removal rates were set higher, to
meet more stringent effluent discharge limits like TN< 5mg/l and TP< 0.5 mg/l. Moreover,
these limits are to be achieved at specific Dutch circumstances, implying low process
temperatures (< 10
o
C) and higher RWF/DWF ratios. During the severe winters of 2008-2009
and 2009-2010 the research projects showed the great possibilities of the Nereda

technology
even under these harsh conditions. At average MLSS-concentrations of 8 kg/m
3
biological
nitrogen and phosphorous removal without addition of chemicals still resulted in very good
system performance.

Furthermore the pilot tests showed a striking robustness and reliability of the technology.
While an in parallel operating activated sludge system suffered from chemical spills in the
received sewage, the Nereda

system could handle these toxic loads very well. This

confirmed the results of various laboratory experiences, which showed that the stability and
robustness of aerobic granular biomass outperforms those of activated sludge. The stable
biopolymer matrix of the compact granule seems to protect the biomass to a certain extent
during process against short term toxic loads. The high concentration of biomass and the
latent available and diverse micro-biological population makes the process less sensitive to
and quicker to recover from severe process upsets.

PERFORMANCE OF FULL-SCALE NEREDA INSTALLATION
The first full-scale Nereda was launched in 2005 by retrofitting a storage tank into a
treatment tank for a waste water flowrate capacity 250 m
3
/day at a cheese specialty
production factory in The Netherlands. The success of this first milestone confirmed the
applicability of the technology. While the PPP was working on the scale-up for larger
municipal applications, the technology was further valorised in other industrial applications.
For example, in 2006 the first green field industrial application came on stream for the
treatment of 250 m
3
/day wastewater from a small food industry. When in 2009 this company
decided to relocate their production facility, key equipment was shipped to another location
and retrofitted on-site into a Nereda treatment plant (Figure 4) with twice the original
treatment capacity (COD removal of 500 kg/day). Seeded with normal activated sludge, full
granulation of the biomass was obtained within 3 months. The influent COD currently ranges
from 1,000 8,000 mg/l and the unit is fully loaded with daily peaks up to two times design
capacity. With biomass concentrations maintained at as much as 10-20 g/l, sludge volume
indices after 5 minutes that amount to only 20-30 ml/g, at process temperature of approx. 40
C and absorbing large feed fluctuations, the unit consistently meets the treatment
requirements with COD reductions of approx. 95% (Figure 5).

0
1.000
2.000
3.000
4.000
5.000
6.000
7.000
8.000
9.000
10.000
1
-
0
1
-
1
0
3
1
-
0
1
-
1
0
2
-
0
3
-
1
0
1
-
0
4
-
1
0
1
-
0
5
-
1
0
3
1
-
0
5
-
1
0
3
0
-
0
6
-
1
0
3
0
-
0
7
-
1
0
2
9
-
0
8
-
1
0
2
8
-
0
9
-
1
0
2
8
-
1
0
-
1
0
2
7
-
1
1
-
1
0
2
7
-
1
2
-
1
0
C
O
D

c
o
n
c
e
n
t
r
a
t
i
o
n

(
m
g
/
l
)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
R
e
m
o
v
a
l

e
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

C
O
D

t
o
t
a
l
influent effluent removal

Figure 4 Application of Nereda at
food industry
Figure 5 Influent and effluent characteristics


Larger scale municipal application was initiated in 2008 when in South Africa a first full
scale demonstration installation (Figure 6) was started-up for treatment of municipal waste
water at Gansbaai STP. The treatment facility is designed for 4,000 m
3
/day of high strength
septic influent. It was designed for moderate effluent discharge limits. It shows nevertheless a
remarkable high performance (Table 1), especially when taking into account the minimal
attendance for operation and maintenance, the regular power outings in the region and the
high solids loading. Most of the treated wastewater from the site is reused for irrigation, after
disinfection.


Figure 6. Full scale demonstration installation - South Africa

Table 1. Influent and effluent data municipal demonstration installation South Africa
(2011)
Parameter Influent
(mg/l)
Effluent
(mg/l)
Requirement
(mg/l)
Efficiency
(%)
COD total 1,265 40 75 97
NKJ 115
NH
4
-N 75 < 1 6 > 98
TN < 10 15 89
TP 19 3,2 10 82
SS 450 < 5 99

Building on the experience and the excellent results of all installations, the step to a larger
municipal Nereda application was easily made when, at the end of 2011, the first municipal
full-scale installation at STP Epe, The Netherlands, came online. This plant was inaugurated
on 8 May 2012, is owned by District Water Board Veluwe and has a design capacity of
59,000 P.E. and treats up to 1,500 m
3
/h municipal wastewater with a high contribution of
industrial waste from slaughterhouses. It has to meet challenging effluent requirements of TN
< 5 mg/l and TP < 0.3 mg/l under Dutch climate conditions. The prime reasons for Water
Board, Veluwe to select this innovative technology for the replacement of their old STP was
the low investment costs, the small footprint and in particular the energy-efficiency.

To minimize the start-up and granulation phase, a smart project planning was developed in
which, in parallel to finalizing the plant construction and commissioning, the granulation
process already was initiated in one reactor. Figure 7 shows how during start-up the
wastewater feed was gradually increased from the old to the new treatment plant. After
approx. 4 months all wastewater was treated by the new treatment plant and the old plant was
demolished. Figure 7 also shows that during aforementioned period the biomass level grew
steadily and that the number of reactors in use has been increased while the biomass level
continued to grow.
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
100,000
22-09-11 12-10-11 01-11-11 21-11-11 11-12-11 31-12-11 20-01-12 09-02-12 29-02-12 20-03-12 09-04-12
Date
t
o
t
a
l

M
L
S
S

(
k
g
)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Total MLSS in Nereda
% wastewater to Nereda
1 Nereda in operation 2 Nereda in operation 3 Nereda in operation


Figure 7. Start-up of Nereda STP Epe

Effluent quality Nereda during start-up (on-line data, prior to filter)
0.00
2.00
4.00
6.00
8.00
10.00
12.00
14.00
16.00
18.00
20.00
20-09-11 10-10-11 30-10-11 19-11-11 09-12-11 29-12-11 18-01-12 07-02-12 27-02-12 18-03-12 07-04-12
Date
N
H
4
-
N
,

N
O
x
-
N
,

P
O
4
-
P

(
m
g
/
l
)
,

T
e
m
p

(
C
)
NH4-N mg/l
NOx-N mg/l
PO4-P mg/l
Temperature (C)
1 Nereda in operation 2 Nereda in operation 3 Nereda in operation

Figure 8. BNR performance during start-up

The produced water quality, during the start-up, as measured by the on-line plant data prior to
sand filtration polishing, is presented in Figure 8. Though from start-up to treatment of 100%
of the incoming raw feed took approx. 4 months, as a result of the selected strategy, already a
few days after beginning of the start-up the plant produced a remarkable good effluent
quality. Even at the severe winter conditions in mid February the BNR performance was very
good and even met the discharge limits as set for the summer average. This illustrates that the
longer start-up time for the growth of granular biomass does not necessarily mean that it
takes also longer before sufficient treatment power is obtained. Further, by seeding with
granular biomass, duration of start-up can be significantly reduced.

Table 2: Comparison of Nereda with Advanced SBR with bio-selection zone
Parameters Advanced SBR (with Bio-Selection Zone) Nereda
Process Cycles 1. Fill and aeration, 2. Settling, 3. Draw 1. Fill and draw, 2.Aerate,
3. Fast settling
MLSS in reactor 3-5 kg/m
3
8-15 kg/m
3

N-removal good extensive & simultaneously
P-removal good Very good
Effluent quality good similar or better
Process stability fair to good similar or better
Footprint 100% <50%
Energy consumption 100% <90%
Sludge production 100% similar or lower
CAPEX 100% significantly lower
OPEX 100% Lower
ENERGY CONSERVATION AND COST EFFECTIVE TECHNOLOGY
Compared to conventional activated sludge, the energy consumption of the Nereda
technology is in general 20-40% lower. Also compared to advanced Sequence Batch Reactor
technology the energy consumption is lower. For typical conditions of in e.g. India, in table 2
the comparison of Nereda with other advanced SBR process as currently in use at various
STPs is presented. The total energy consumption in Nereda process was observed 5 to 10%
less than advanced SBR as used in India. The lower energy consumption is directly related to
the fact that in Nereda no recirculation of water or sludge is required. The effluent also
withdraws from fixed effluent gutter and hence no mechanization is needed while in SBR
systems recirculation of sludge is necessary along with mechanized decantation of effluent.

NEREDA ON IT WAY TO BECOME THE FUTURE STANDARD
The experience gained from the various full scale installations clearly confirm the added
value of this technology and demonstrated the reliability of the process also under harsh
conditions.

Since technology inception, development and successful operation of the full scale plants,
many projects are in the pipeline and municipality boards in many countries in Europe,
Middle-East, Asia, Australia and America have shown strong interest in the new technology.
Presently Nereda technology is under construction at municipality of Stellenbosch in South
Africa, STP Dinxerplo in The Netherlands for District Water Board Rijn and IJssel and STP
Vroomshoop for District Water Board Regge en Dinkel. While many others and projects for
food, beverage and chemical industries are being prepared by Royal HaskoningDHV
themselves or their licensees. Recently, a construction consortium and their consultant
applied Nereda for their winning quotation for the extension of one of the largest Dutch
wastewater treatment works (400,000 p.e). Here Nereda will be applied in parallel to the
existing conventional plant and could also be operated in a hybrid process tie-in mode to
improve the process performance of the existing activated sludge process.

While research in aerobic granular biomass technology is booming world-wide, BNR experts
identify the technology as the first real process breakthrough in decades for generic biological
purification of municipal and industrial wastewater.
With the technology is now being scaled-up and applied in various wastewater markets and
countries, Nereda is used as a showcase for affordable and sustainable wastewater treatment
to meet the worlds sanitation needs and water pollution challenges. The near future will
show whether or not this emerging technology will indeed become the new world standard
for aerobic wastewater treatment.