Specialised return liquor treatment at Whitlingham – UK’s first full scale example of the SHARON process
Riches, S.1 and Nossiter, P.2, 1Anglian Water, 2Black & Veatch, UK
(free)
Abstract:
During AMP 4 Anglian Water delivered four Advanced Digestion plants at King’s Lynn, Cottonvalley, Great Billing and Whitlingham. Collectively these sites were designed to process up to 99,000 tonnes dry solids producing enhanced quality sludge and generating 40GWh/year of renewable power. Two of the plants included Monsal enhanced enzymic hydrolysis and two plants used Cambi thermal hydrolysis. This paper compares operational experience at these four sites and the basis for learning lessons and developing an optimised AMP 5 delivery plan. Early experience of the AMP 5 delivery programme is also presented. Overall Anglian Water has committed to generate almost 90 GWh/year by the end of AMP 5 through its Advanced Digestion plants.
Keywords:
Advanced Digestion, Enhanced enzymic hydrolysis, Cambi Thermal Hydrolysis, Carbon reduction, High Efficiency CHP, enhanced sludge quality, power self sufficient operation, operational savings and sustainability.
Introduction:
Anglian Water has led the UK Water industry in successfully developing and delivering four full-scale Advanced Digestion plants in AMP4. These plants at King’s Lynn, Cottonvalley, Whitlingham, and Great Billing, were designed to process up to 99,000 tDS/y of raw sludge (approx 54% of all sludge produced across Anglian Water), to produce enhanced quality sludge cake, and deliver lowest sustainable cost of service with targeted operational savings of over £6M/yr and generate more than 40GWh of renewable power.
Both Enhanced Enzymic Hydrolysis and Thermal Hydrolysis plants have been delivered. This paper takes an overview of Anglian Water’s experience in developing, delivering, commissioning, improving performance, operating and maintenance experience associated with this programme. In turn, important lessons have been learned, allowing Anglian Water to optimise the development and delivery of its AMP5 Biosolids programme.
