Karmiel - AAT

Karmiel - AAT

SMARTech n.

Integrated municipal WWTP

Key enabling process(es)

SMART-product(s)

SMARTech2a

Karmiel (Israel)

Mainstream polyurethane-based anaerobic biofilter

Biogas, Energy-efficient water reuse

The Karmiel WWTP was built in order to treat wastewater from Karmiel town and its region including wastewater originating form industrial areas. The  WWTP was  built  by  a  co-partnership  of  equal  shares  (50%  each)  of  the  National  Water Company “Mekorot” and the Regional Sewage Association. Wastewater is treated in a conventional activated sludge system, providing sludge treatment in thickeners, followed by anaerobic digestion and sludge dewatering.

AgRobics has developed an advanced anaerobic technology (AAT) for treating heterogeneous wastewater. The AAT is a “bio - stabilized”, polymer -based matrix impregnated with unique anaerobic microorganisms. The matrix has large surface area and high capacity that enables the loading of higher number of microorganisms compared to incumbent wastewater treatment methods. In addition, the matrix provides physical protection for the microorganisms.

SMARTech2a is the key to enable secondary biogas recovery from small-medium municipal WWTP where irregular organic-load peaks often occur. It  applies a secondary anaerobic biofilter with an innovative polymeric based immobilization matrix to treat anaerobically sewage and produce biogas. The system results in high COD and TSS removal as well as biogas production, providing treated effluent adapted for reuse in agriculture or reclamation after post-treatment. The demo system had a reaction volume of 25 m3 and was installed at the municipal WWTP of Karmiel (Israel) to treat 100-120 m3/d of sewage.

Highlights and main results

  • Increase the production of biogas by 15-25%
  • Simple operation
  • Low energy consumption
  • Reduction of the organic load entering the biological stage of the WWTP and less energy costs for aeration (6-8% reduction of the total energy consumption)
  • Reduction in the amount of biological sludge and the associated disposal costs (15-20% reduction)
  • High process stability dealing with high contamination levels (e.g. solids, salts, fats, toxins and oils) and irregular organic loads

Impact of the system

  • Increasing of the total biogas production by 20% (15-25%)
  • Significant reduction of total sludge production ( ≺20% )
  • Reduction in GHG emissions, if a degasifier is integrated estimated at 7%
  • Reduction of the total energy demand by 6-8% in the warm period (March-November) and zero additional demand in the cold period (December-February) (5-6% reduction at annual basis)

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SMART-Plant scales-up in real environment eco-innovative and energy-efficient solutions to renovate existing wastewater treatment plants and close the circular value chain by applying low-carbon techniques to recover materials that are otherwise lost.

Seven plus two (7+2) pilot systems were optimized for more than two years in real environment in five municipal water treatment plants, including also two post-processing facilities. The systems were automatized with the aim of optimizing wastewater treatment, resource recovery, energy-efficiency and reduction of greenhouse emissions. A comprehensive SMART portfolio comprising biopolymers, cellulose, fertilizers and intermediates were recovered and processed up to the final commercializable end-products.

Dynamic modeling and superstructure framework for decision support was developed and validated to identify the optimum SMART-Plant system integration options for recovered resources and technologies.

The integration of resource recovery assets to system wide asset management programs were evaluated in each site following the resource recovery paradigm for the wastewater treatment plant of the future, enabled through SMART-Plant solutions. The project proved the feasibility of circular management of urban wastewater and environmental sustainability of the systems, through Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing approaches as well as the global benefit of the scaled-up water solutions.

Global market deployment was achieved as right fit solution for water utilities and relevant industrial stakeholders, considering the strategic implications of the resource recovery paradigm in case of both public and private water management. New public-private partnership models were also explored connecting the water sector to the chemical industry and its downstream segments such as the construction and agricultural sector, thus generating new opportunities for funding and potential public-private competition.