Project Description

A Biopharma Company required an upgrade to their existing Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) at their production facility. The intent was to upgrade the existing Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) based on the existing design with modifications to accommodate the anticipated final effluent standards as outlined in EU Directive 2010/75/EU. This Directive uses the conclusions from Best Available Techniques (BAT) to set appropriate permit conditions.

On the same timeframe, the proposed Facility Expansion would require a doubling of capacity for wastewater treatment on the site. Thus, an overall upgrade was also required to meet the needs of the production facility. This involved a completely new WWTP being designed and constructed adjacent to and integrated with the above-mentioned existing Plant. The plant layout must also allow for further upgrades to accommodate tanks and equipment should the production facility wish to expand.

The existing Plant was originally designed by WEW Engineers in 2005, therefore the firm was engaged to join the design team in designing the proposed new (extended) Plant and implementing the upgrade to the existing Plant.

Existing WWTP Upgrade

The objective of the WWTP upgrade was to increase performance and capacity of the existing Plant.

The Works included:

• New Inlet Screens.
• Uprated Inlet Pumps.
• Replacement of Equalisation and Off Spec Tanks (3No).
• Change from air mixing to impeller mixing.
• Replace existing Inclined Screens with new Drum Type Screens.
• Upgrade and relocation of existing chemical pumps.
• Upgrade of existing MBR (membrane bio reactor) Streams.

WEW Engineering were engaged as Specialist Consultants on both projects. Our roles and responsibilities included providing full technical and engineering support on the replacement tank project on the existing WWTP. We joined the Design Team on the Project as Specialist Consultants. We conducted Front End Design studies and developed the Basis of Design documents in concluding the optimum solution and developed the process design based on the existing plant. This included modifications to accommodate the anticipated final effluent standards as outlined in EU Directive 2010/75/EU. This Directive uses the conclusions from Best Available Techniques (BAT) to set appropriate permit conditions.

Based on the above information, we then developed the process and P&ID Diagrams, the MEICA engineering specs, and general arrangement/layout designs for the proposed new WWTP. We also provided the provision of procurement services in developing and preparing the technical content of the Tender Documents for obtaining competitive tenders from suitably qualified DB Contractors. As part of the Project team we carried out the technical tender assessment duties, attended Tender Interviews and assisted the Project Team in the selection of the successful Tenderer.

Project Scope – New WWTP

The WWTP design incorporates the following unit operations, intended to provide similar proven performance to the existing plant:

• MWW Forward Feed Pumps and Flow Distribution System.
• 2No Equalisation Tanks, including mixers, level and coarse pH control.
• On-Line TOC/N & P Analyser Station.
• 2No P Reduction Reactor/Clarifiers, Lime Dosing and Sludge Pumping.
• CO2 Dosing System for pH Correction and reduction (after lime dosing).
• Temperature control system, including Heat Exchanger and Cooling Towers.
• Drum type Fine Screens (for downstream MBR system).
• Contact Tank, Anaerobic Tank and Aerobic Tank (in Concrete) including mixers and pumping.
• FBDA aeration system inc Blowers and Diffuser system with DO Control.
• Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) Separation System including Membranes, Pumps and Ancills.
• Nutrient, Chemical and MBR Dosing Systems for all stages.
• Centrifuge Decanter, Polymer System Feed and Dosing Pumps.
• New/upgraded PLC/SCADA Plant control system and associated MCC’s and LCP’s.