A modern miracle: turning wastewater into energy
Miracles are normally the result of magic or tricks. However, with this miracle, we used engineering skills, cross-disciplinary efforts and close collaboration to make good use of wastewater from two of Europe’s biggest fishing industries.
Skagen, located in the northernmost part of Denmark, has the Kattegat on the right and the Skagerrak to the left. Naturally, it is home to one of Europe’s biggest fishing ports and has a busy fishing industry that produces huge amounts of wastewater. Wastewater that requires special treatment to not pollute the environment.
To be able to handle the peak load of up to 900,000 PE, more than DKK 100 million has been invested in a new, unique pre-treatment plant at Skagen Wastewater Treatment Plant. The plant not only processes the industrial wastewater to ensure it is safe and complies with the regulatory limits; it also produces energy. Read on to find out how.
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How to handle the difference between 50,000 PE and 900,000 PE
Skagen is a beautiful, picturesque even, town in the northernmost part of Denmark. The town has just under 8,000 inhabitants, the municipality close to 60,000. During summer, it is a popular holiday destination, and up to one million people visit for short or long stays.
The normal wastewater production from private households and holiday guests is not causing any problems. The wastewater from the industrial food production is a different story. It is dependent on the forces of nature, which means that Skagen's wastewater load ranges from 50,000 to a maximum of 900,000 PE, depending on downtime and production.
In it together
The industrial wastewater in Skagen comes from herring filleting factories and from the production of fish meal and fish oil. Filleting production wastewater has high contents of organic material, and the fish meal and oil wastewater is very high in nitrogen.
With increased knowledge of wastewater’s role in oxygen depletion and changes to the marine environment in general, new regulations have been imposed, obliging private companies and public actors to find sustainable solutions to treating industrial wastewater. This led to the Skagen Circle project where the local utility company joined forces with the fishing industry to find the right solutions.
An opportunity to influence the future
The Skagen Circle project was a partnership between the local utility companies, the fishing industry, the port and private specialist companies. It was established to create a sustainable wastewater solution, and by working closely together, the Skagen Circle partners found both the will and the funding to go above and beyond the basics. The industrial wastewater has high contents of organic material and nitrogen, and the new solution exploits this to make biogas, electricity, heat and fertiliser.
As the name indicates, Skagen pre-treatment plant was designed to prepare the wastewater for treatment. The plant separates organic material and nitrogen from water so the resources can be used for energy production and natural fertiliser. An example of how wastewater requirements can be an opportunity to create new solutions that make better use of the planet’s resources.
To consulting engineers, projects like Skagen pre-treatment plant are challenging and rewarding. Seeing the opportunities, finding solutions together with the customer and partners, and getting everything and everyone to work together and pull in the same direction can be difficult. But when we succeed, we make a real impact in the efforts to create a more sustainable future.
Facts about the project
- Client: Frederikshavn Forsyning A/S
- Partners: A/S Trigon, Krüger A/S, Veolia, Sweco
- Scope: Five tanks (the two biggest capable of holding 6,400 m³ of wastewater), and three buildings to house air blowers, pumps and technical installations
- Services: Client consultancy (partly subcontractor to Sweco), implementation and operations.
I like working in an area that solves some of the hottest topics in today's world.
“In my field, we care about the environment we have, and we look ahead to find solutions for the future.
Many of our customers face extraordinary challenges. It’s about new regulation and requirements, about increased risk of cloudbursts and other climate change. In all this, it is our job to be at the forefront and deliver extraordinary expertise.”
Anders Bertelsen
Project Director, Water and Environment
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… could be working on existing and new wastewater plants around Denmark to make sure they are renovated, modernised and can live up to future regulations and the terms in the Paris Agreement.
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