ANAEROBIC DIGESTION

ENERGY RECOVERY FROM

BIO EFFLUENT, SLUDGE AND
MIXED ORGANIC WASTE TYPES
ENERGY RECOVERY FROM
BIO EFFLUENT, SLUDGE AND
MIXED ORGANIC WASTE TYPES

new energy

from water treatment from waste from biomass

anaerobic wwt non toxic toxic anaerobic digestion drying

biogas recover & recycle biogas combustion

thermal cogeneration thermal thermal cogeneration

New Energy production is one of the four key businesses of Waterleau, next to water, air and waste treatment.
Waterleau has acquired substantial know-how in the production of green energy from both organic and non-
organic waste. Biogas from organic waste is obtained through anaerobic digestion, a series of processes in which
micro organisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen hence producing the methane or
biogas. This biogas can be used as fuel or in combined heat and power engines (CHP-unit).

Waterleau is a solution provider for all types of anaerobic digestion. The Waterleau BIOTIM and LUCAS reactor
range includes solutions for the production of green energy from every concentration of organic waste and load:

Wastewater from food & beverage industry

Concentrates from agro & food processing industry
Sludge from municipal wastewater
Mixed bio waste
Bio waste

Manure and chicken litter

Slaughterhouse waste
Energy crops
Kitchen and restaurant waste (KRW)
Organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW)
WATERLEAU ANAEROBIC REACTOR RANGE
The appropriate choice of the anaerobic reactor type depends on the composition of the organic waste. Successful
anaerobic treatment is only possible when the characteristics and specific issues for each type of waste are known
in advance.

BIOTIM UASB
High volumetric loading rates can be reached in certain wastewaters. The BIOTIM UASB (Upflow Anaerobic
Sludge Blanket) reactor is the most commonly used system mainly because of its simplicity and robustness.

BIOTIM UAC
THE BIOTIM UAC (Upflow Anaerobic Contact) reactor is a hybrid reactor (combination of an UASB reactor with an
AC process ) for wastewater that shows no granule formation and requiring a longer hydraulic retention time.

BIOTIM CSTR
The BIOTIM CSTR is Waterleaus Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor. This type of reactor is typically used for
very concentrated waters and or for waters rich in solids. The reacting mixture being stirred, its properties are
uniformly distributed throughout the reactor.

BIOTIM solids
Waterleaus BIOTIM solids reactor is specially designed to treat sludge from municipal wastewater treatment
plants. Sludge from both primary and secondary treatment is mixed and heated to accelerate biological conversion.

BIOTIM wet AD
For the treatment of organic solid waste with a high moisture content such as kitchen and restaurant waste,
Waterleau has designed a BIOTIM wet AD reactor, based on CSTR technology.

BIOTIM dry AD
The organic content of dry solids in mixed organic household waste is relatively low. The BIOTIM dry AD
technology is specially designed to handle this type of waste successfully.

SETTING STANDARDS IN DIGESTER TECHNOLOGY

ANAEROBIC DIGESTION OF EFFLUENTS FROM
BIO INDUSTRY
The BIOTIM and LUCAS anaerobic wastewater treatment technologies are Waterleaus flag-ship solutions for
the production of biogas from bio-effluent. In combination with aerobic treatment, up to 99% from the effluents
organic load can be removed, allowing the final effluent stream to be discharged safely or to be further treated
for reuse purposes.

Waterleau offers turn-key solution for anaerobic digestion in different industries:

Brewery industry
Food & beverages
Dairy industry
Potato processing
Sugar industry
Bakery and yeast
Agro-industry

POTATO POWER ANAEROBIC TREATMENT OF BEET/

Waterleau has designed and built an integrated
solution for green energy production from biological
wastewater and mixed bio waste for a major
potato processing plant. The solution includes the
production of biogas from of the organic load within
the wastewater, in 3 BIOTIM USAB reactors, built by
Waterleau over the years. In a separate BIOTIM CSTR
digester, the organic load coming from mixed bio waste
(waste potatoes, production losses, vegetable fats) is
also transformed into biogas.
Production capacity of finished product: 32 tons/hour
Input of bio-waste: 33 tons/day
Production of biogas: 6.000 m/day
Energy production: 42 Mwh/day
SUGAR CANE VINASSES
Waterleau has designed and built an anaerobic
treatment plant for one of the largest producers of
yeast and bakery ingredients, capable of treating
vinasses containing high levels of BOC, COD & TSS
but also containing high concentrations of potassium,
sulphates, nitrogen and bivalent ions.
The key to success of anaerobic treatment in this
particular case is the spilt up between the biomass
retention time and the hydraulic retention time:
a BIOTIM UAC reactor is followed by an external
sludge separation system (SEPAFLOC) with biomass
recirculation. This solution combines the advantages of
CSTR and UASB technology and excludes their potential
drawbacks. Other advantages are the small footprint
(up to 70% less space) and the lower anaerobic effluent
TSS values, facilitating the aerobic post-treatment.

Lorenz Snack World, Germany Mauri Hull, United Kindom

Energy production: 0,5 MWe Biogas production: 14 344 Nm/day
Heineken, Spain Diageo, Kenya
Energy production: 1 MWe Biogas production: 10 080 Nm/day

WATERLEAU HAS
DESINGED AND BUILT
MORE THAN 100 AD
REFERENCES IN THE
BREWERY INDUSTRY
Heineken, The Netherlands
Biogas production: 3 905 Nm/day

Guinness, Ghana Diageo Kumasi, Ghana

Biogas production: 2 600 Nm/day Biogas production: 3 200 Nm/day

WATERLEAU COUNTS
MORE THAN 400
REFERENCES IN THE
ANAEROBIC TREATMENT OF
INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER
Castel, Togo
Biogas production: 2 600 Nm/day
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION OF SLUDGE FROM MUNICIPAL
WASTE WATER
Sludge, the semi-solid material left over from the sewage treatment process must be treated and disposed of
in a safe and effective manner. Next to sludge drying and incineration, Anaerobic Digestion is used for the
degradation of the organic matter thereby reducing the sludge volume. The methane generation is a key
advantage of the anaerobic process. The methane can be used in co-generators for producing heat and electricity.

WATER
PRIMARY
TREATMENT Water inlet

Screen

Oil & sand catcher

SLUDGE BIOGAS ENERGY
SECONDARY
TREATMENT Sedimentation Thickener Floatation Gas flow monitoring Cogeneration unit

Biological reactor tank Digester Desulphurisation Electric Thermal

power energy

Clarifier Dewatering Flare

Boiler

Coagulation Sludge storage

Flocculation To river

TERTIARY
TREATMENT Sand filtration

UV

Chlorination
Process MWTP Marrakech

ENERGY FROM SLUDGE IN FEZ AND MARRAKECH

In large wastewater treatment plants like Fez or Marrakech, the BIOTIM AD technology allows the production
of up to 70% of the plants energy needs while reducing the carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions. In
both wastewater treatment plants, the cogeneration solution meets the CDM (Clean Development Mechanism)
requirements of the Kyoto Protocol Office.

Marrakech, Morocco Fez, Morocco

Biogas production: 18 000 Nm/day Energy production: 1,6 MWe Biogas production: 28 800 Nm/day Energy production: 2,75 MWe
Marrakech, Morocco

Fez, Morocco

Fez, Morocco

UP TO 70 % OF THE ENERGY
NEEDS OF A WASTEWATER
TREATMENT PLANT CAN
BE PROVIDED BY SLUDGE
DIGESTION
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION OF BIOMASS
KITCHEN AND RESTAURANT WASTE: BIOTIM WET AD

Kitchen and Restaurant waste

often contains a high percentage
of moisture and organic material,
making it unsuitable for landfill
where its degradation produces free
methane and leachate, polluting the
surface water. Yet, this waste can be
a valuable and sustainable source of
energy. After pretreatment (removal
of packing material, plastic spoons...),
the BIOTIM wet AD process turns the
organic fraction of KRW into biogas in
a CSTR reactor. The mineral fraction is
transformed into a valuable fertilizer
(NPK). Hygienization before or after
the anaerobic digestion kills off
pathogens such as Salmonella and E.Coli thereby preventing contamination.

The solid part of the digestate can be either turned into a high standard fertilizer after drying in Waterleaus
HYDROGONE dryer, or mixed with structure material and composted into a commercial product.

The liquid fraction can be treated in an aerobic post treatment to remove all volatile carbon. The effluent of the
aerobic treatment is evaporated to produce a valuable fertilizer (NPK) concentrate.

Hong Kong

A CITY OF 2 MILLION
INHABITANTS PRODUCES
100 000 TONS OF KITCHEN
AND RESTAURANT
WASTE PER YEAR

OUT OF 100.000 TONS OF

KRW, A TREATMENT PLANT
PRODUCES:
Energy: 3 MWe
Dry fertilizer pellets: 7.000 tons
Clean water: 90.000 m
ORGANIC FRACTION OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE: BIOTIM DRY AD

In some regions, municipal waste is sorted and collected into different fractions. Waterleau has designed a state-
of-the-art BIOTIM dry AD reactor, capable of treating the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW). Its
composition is often heterogeneous and subject to seasonal fluctuations.

After removing the impurities (plastics, packing material) the screened material is first mixed with recycled
active anaerobic material and undergoes a first hydrolysis step. After hydrolysis in the pre-digester, the semi-dry
anaerobic pasta is digested in the BIOTIM dry AD reactor.

The semi-dry pasta coming from the digester can be dried in Waterleaus HYDROGONE dryer and turned into a
valuable dry organic fertilizer, or mixed with green waste (structure material) and composted into a commercial
product.

A SOLUTION FOR THE RETROFIT OF EXISTING AEROBIC COMPOSTING PLANTS

Today there are still many aerobic composting plants. Usually the organic waste is turned into compost by
aeration. High amounts of energy are needed to mineralize the organic matter. In the process CO2 is released into
the atmosphere.
By installing a BIOTIM dry AD System as pre-treatment before the existing aerobic composting plant, a maximum
of green energy can be recovered from the organic material.

Belgium

A CITY OF 1.3 MILLION

INHABITANTS PRODUCES
100 000 TONS OF ORGANIC
FRACTION OF MUNICIPAL
SOLID WASTE PER YEAR

AEROBIC COMPOSTING OF THIS

WASTE CONSUMES 1 MWE
DRY ANAEROBIC DIGESTION OF
THIS WASTE PRODUCES 4 MWE
MIXED BIOWASTE

Waterleau operates a Biowaste to Energy plant near Ypres, producing 24,000 MWe/ year from a mixture of
100,000 tons of bio waste (manure, chicken litter, crops, slaughterhouse and kitchen waste).
Nearly 75% of the biogas is produced from the mixture of crops, organic and kitchen waste, 25 % of the biogas
is produced from manure and litter. Due to its animal waste content, the process includes a hygienization phase,
before digestion (1 hour at 70C). Two lines with a capacity of 60.000 tons year each, include thermophilic and
mesophilic anaerobic digestion, allowing operation with high levels of N. Digestion occurs in a BIOTIM wet AD
CSTR reactor and post-digester.

The digestate is separated into a solid and a liquid fraction. The solid fraction is dried in a HYDROGONE dryer
producing 6.000 tons of organic fertilizer per year.

The liquid fraction of the digestate undergoes a BIOTIM aerobic treatment to reduce the remaining organic
pollution. After aerobic treatment, the effluent is sent to the evaporator. The non-volatile fraction consists of a
Potassium rich fertilizer. The volatile Nitrogen rich fraction can be either turned into an ammonia solution, or in a
20% (NH4)2SO4 fertilizer.

Valmas, Belgium

IN THE YPRES BIOWASTE

TO ENERGY PLANT, POST
TREATMENT OF THE
DIGESTATE PRODUCES
CLEAN WATER AND
VALUABLE FERTILISER

Ypres, Belgium

THE BIOTIM WET AD

PROCESS DESIGN PRODUCES
3,2 MWe, WHICH IS SOLD TO
THE GRID
SLAUGHTERHOUSE WASTE AS A VALUABLE ENERGY SOURCE

Meat processing is energy intensive and produces large amounts of bio waste. Slaughterhouse waste is protein
rich and has a very high energy potential. However its high fat and protein concentration can be toxic to the
anaerobic bacteria in the digester. Waterleau designed a smart process solution to decompose these types of
industrial food wastes.

Rumen contents are mixed (50/50) with concentrated bio waste to achieve a high but acceptable
N-level in the BIOTIM anaerobic digester.
The thermophilic process is beneficial for the anaerobic degradation of fats: the operation temperature of
55 C is well above the melting point of the vegetable fats .
The high temperature contributes to the disinfection, making the digested material ready for reuse.
The biogas is valorized in a cogeneration unit (producing green electricity and heat), both are re-used
on-site in the production processes.

De Rese, Belgium

PROTEIN RICH WASTE

HAS TO BE MIXED WITH
CONCENTRATED BIOWASTE
IN ORDER TO PRESERVE
THE DIGESTION PROCESS

THE DE RESE
SLAUGHTERHOUSE HAS
BEEN TREATING ITS
PROTEIN RICH WASTE FOR
MORE THAN 10 YEARS
 MORE THAN 400 REFERENCES
IN ANAEROBIC DIGESTION,
EVERY SITUATION REQUIRES
A DEDICATED SOLUTION

DESIGN PROTECTING THE 4 ELEMENTS

ENGINEERING
CONSTRUCTION
OPERATION
MAINTENANCE
We all have the responsibility to handle our natural resources in a
careful and sustainable way. Waterleau develops environmental
technologies and offers sustainable solutions for water, air and waste
treatment, as well as for energy recovery. As an EPC contractor and
operator, Waterleau counts more than 1000 references for municipal
and industrial clients around the world.

Radioweg 18, 3020 Herent (Leuven), Belgium

t. +32 (0) 16 65 06 57 - f. +32 (0) 16 65 06 63
info@waterleau.com - www.waterleau.com