The Potential of Heat Recovery from Wastewater Considering the Protection of Wastewater Treatment Plant Technology

Energy efficiency is extremely significant for industrial processes and technologies. Rising energy prices, depleting fossil fuels, as well as tightening regulations that impose the need to reduce GHG emissions incentivize companies to look for energy-efficient solutions. This also applies to wastewater treatment plants, which, on the one hand, are consumers of very large amounts of energy, and on the other hand, have significant potential to retrieve waste energy in the form of heat accumulated in wastewater. The authors of this publication have recognized the benefits of managing this heat. However, they have also pointed out several problems and difficulties associated with this process. By means of measured data, this publication provides a comprehensive analysis of the heat that can be recovered from wastewater treatment plants. As a result of the analyses, the locations of sites for collecting heat from wastewater have been determined, and potential technologies for this purpose have been identified. Moreover, the impact of the proposed heat recovery technology on the process of biological wastewater treatment has also been analyzed. As a result of the research, the authors developed generalized guidelines for selecting an optimal heat recovery site and the technological system designed for this purpose.