{"id":47,"date":"2017-02-13T14:53:25","date_gmt":"2017-02-13T13:53:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nxo-e.com\/invisiblefactor\/?p=47"},"modified":"2022-09-19T10:21:55","modified_gmt":"2022-09-19T08:21:55","slug":"energy-positive-waste-water-treatment-plants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nxo-e.com\/invisiblefactor\/energy-positive-waste-water-treatment-plants\/","title":{"rendered":"Energy Positive Waste Water Treatment Plants"},"content":{"rendered":"\n[et_pb_section transparent_background=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb allow_player_pause=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb inner_shadow=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb parallax=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb parallax_method=\u00a0\u00bbon\u00a0\u00bb padding_mobile=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb make_fullwidth=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb use_custom_width=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb width_unit=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb custom_width_px=\u00a0\u00bb1080px\u00a0\u00bb custom_width_percent=\u00a0\u00bb80%\u00a0\u00bb make_equal=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb use_custom_gutter=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb fullwidth=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb specialty=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb admin_label=\u00a0\u00bbsection\u00a0\u00bb disabled=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb][et_pb_row make_fullwidth=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb use_custom_width=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb width_unit=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb custom_width_px=\u00a0\u00bb1080px\u00a0\u00bb custom_width_percent=\u00a0\u00bb80%\u00a0\u00bb use_custom_gutter=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb gutter_width=\u00a0\u00bb3″ padding_mobile=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb allow_player_pause=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb parallax=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb parallax_method=\u00a0\u00bbon\u00a0\u00bb make_equal=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb column_padding_mobile=\u00a0\u00bbon\u00a0\u00bb parallax_1=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb parallax_method_1=\u00a0\u00bbon\u00a0\u00bb parallax_2=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb parallax_method_2=\u00a0\u00bbon\u00a0\u00bb parallax_3=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb parallax_method_3=\u00a0\u00bbon\u00a0\u00bb parallax_4=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb parallax_method_4=\u00a0\u00bbon\u00a0\u00bb admin_label=\u00a0\u00bbrow\u00a0\u00bb disabled=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb][et_pb_column type=\u00a0\u00bb4_4″ disabled=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb parallax=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb parallax_method=\u00a0\u00bbon\u00a0\u00bb column_padding_mobile=\u00a0\u00bbon\u00a0\u00bb][et_pb_text background_layout=\u00a0\u00bblight\u00a0\u00bb text_orientation=\u00a0\u00bbjustified\u00a0\u00bb admin_label=\u00a0\u00bbTexte\u00a0\u00bb use_border_color=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb border_style=\u00a0\u00bbsolid\u00a0\u00bb disabled=\u00a0\u00bboff\u00a0\u00bb]\r\n

Profitable waste water treatment: a new strategy to face global warming<\/h2>\r\nA very ambitious objective is being pursuit by the French startup Nxo which promotes and develops innovative eco-solutions using microalgae catalyzers to treat sewage and make it profitable.\r\n\r\nNxo\u2019s team has designed a new Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) scheme based on biological oxidation in algae reactors, flotation cells, anaerobic digestion and an earthworms-compost process to transform the residual digestate into a bio-fertilizer. The whole setup offers the possibility to overcome 3 global challenges simultaneously: water scarcity (recycling\/reuse), circular economy (zero organic waste) and global warming (a negative carbon balance).\r\n\r\n \r\n

Rebalancing water treatment and energy cost<\/h2>\r\nEven if the idea of an energy producing WWTP is not new, today (2\/2017) there is no real-scale demonstration plant achieving it. Encouraged by the progress made by its Spanish colleagues of FCC Aqualia through the All-Gas project<\/a>, C\u00e9sar NARV\u00c1EZ, CEO and co-founder of Nxo put together a strategy to make this vision a reality: converting WWTP into hydrocarbon (methane) production facilities. What we call an energy-positive WWTP.\r\n\r\nWhile studying this new perspective closely, he had a conversation with a colleague that gave him an idea. He states: \u201cI was discussing with a friend about losing weight, for him there were two strategies: either you eat less (you intake less energy than your body consumes) or you eat like always but you do some sport to burn the extra calories (you increase your metabolism energy demand). This obvious fact made me realize that accomplishing the energy-positive concept would not pass by improving digesters performance (which produces methane from waste). We need to focus on the energy demand of established technologies in order to find energy efficient alternatives without compromising performance\u201d.\r\n\r\n \r\n

Standard waste water treatment VS Nxo’s technology<\/h2>\r\nWWTP has adopted activated sludge as the standardized technology for almost one century but the drawback is the energy cost. Treating a cubic meter of water consumes around 0.8 kWh. Nxo\u2019s microalgae bioreactors operate efficiently by consuming only 0.11 kWh for a better depuration result and without using chemical products to eliminate phosphates. They also offer an extra huge advantage: the reclaimed water meets French regulations for recycling (in irrigation or other activities).\r\n\r\nAlgae reactors present a minor OPEX (operational expenditure) as they require only a low-energy propeller to keep them in suspension. On the other hand, activated sludge units need constant large amounts of air provided by air compressors, thus electricity, to keep bacteria oxidizing organic compounds. The energy demand ratio is approximately 1 to 8 in favor of algae. These bioreactors can operate with a fraction of the electricity obtained by the biogas.\r\n\r\n \r\n

Environmental perspective<\/h2>\r\nIn France particularly, this technological package seduces citizens who are well aware that nearly 40% of the potable water price today<\/a>\u00a0is due to sewage sanitation before rejection to the environment. Adapting this eco-improvement in WWTP will reduce at least by 3 the cost of their vital commodity: potable water.\r\n\r\nConcerning the environmental frame, Nxo\u2019s reactors foster CO\u2082 bioremediation thanks to microalgae. In the CEO\u2019s perspective, WWTP have the potential to become \u201cclimate change mitigators or CO\u2082<\/span>\u00a0managers\u201d consuming more CO<\/span>\u2082<\/span>\u00a0than generated even after the combustion of the produced biogas (a negative carbon balance). This is the will of the European Commission for the Horizon 2020.<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n

Social impact<\/h2>\r\nAs a final point, there is also a social envelope considered in the strategy. Local farmers will profit by having access to reclaimed water and bio-fertilizers, either freely or by a commercial transaction. A win\/win approach for municipalities, producers and again for the environment thanks to this zero organic waste formula.\r\n\r\nIn a nutshell, while water stakeholders are joining efforts to reach energy neutrality, Nxo\u2019s philosophy remain that WWTP should operate as a profitable structure. Adopting this breakthrough innovation, where the energetic demand is lower than the production, is going to create collateral revenues by the commercialization of reclaimed water, bio-fertilizers and the exceeding natural gas (public transportation or reinjection to the city network).\r\n\r\n \r\n

Nxo’s CEO’s vision<\/h2>\r\nNxo\u2019s CEO firmly believes that when a new global challenge arises, there is also room for development and innovation. He states: \u201c\u2026In every crisis, there is an opportunity. I\u2019ve recently read that the current president of the Occitanie\u2019s Region, Carole Delga, has expressed a very ambitious objective: to become the first Energy-Positive Region in Europe by the horizon 2050. I totally share her vision. We need inspiring goals to make our economy move forward. This is an opportunity to reexamine our past convictions and to conceive more efficient technologies that, in the end, will raise people\u2019s life quality and preserve our planet\u201d.\r\n\r\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Profitable waste water treatment: a new strategy to face global warming A very ambitious objective is being pursuit by the French startup Nxo which promotes and develops innovative eco-solutions using microalgae catalyzers to treat sewage and make it profitable. Nxo\u2019s team has designed a new Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) scheme based on biological oxidation […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":106,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nxo-e.com\/invisiblefactor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nxo-e.com\/invisiblefactor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nxo-e.com\/invisiblefactor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nxo-e.com\/invisiblefactor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nxo-e.com\/invisiblefactor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/nxo-e.com\/invisiblefactor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":182,"href":"https:\/\/nxo-e.com\/invisiblefactor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47\/revisions\/182"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nxo-e.com\/invisiblefactor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nxo-e.com\/invisiblefactor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nxo-e.com\/invisiblefactor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nxo-e.com\/invisiblefactor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}