Wastewater Treatment: Combined Heat & Power Systems
Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems play a crucially important role in driving efficiency and sustainability in the treatment of wastewater through the recovery of energy from the residual streams generated from wastewater treatment processes.. By integrating CHP technology, wastewater treatment facilities can generate electrical energy and recover heat to support the on-site treatment processes thus reducing carbon emissions, costs and reliance on external energy sources.
With extensive expertise in the design, construction, and operation of CHP systems, CAW helps clients maximise energy and heat recovery from their wastewater treatment plants, delivering solutions tailored to their goals. Our sites operate to ISO 50001-certified energy management standards, audited by NSAI, ensuring best-in-class efficiency and compliance.
How CHP Systems Benefit Wastewater Treatment Plants
On the sites that include anaerobic digestion (AD) as part of the treatment process, Combined Heat and Power Systems use biogas from the AD process to generate electricity and recover heat, offering the following benefits:
On-site Power Generation
By capturing biogas from anaerobic digestion, wastewater treatment plants can generate their own electricity, significantly reducing reliance on electrical energy from the grid. Our managed plants produce approximately 12 million cubic meters of biogas annually, equivalent to c.72 million kWh of energy, which is used to both generate electricity through CHP Units and also to generate thermal energy through the fuelling of on-site boilers.
Cost Savings
CHP systems reduce mains electrical energy demand and utilise waste heat to support on-site processes such as sludge drying, pasteurisation, and digester heating leading to substantial energy cost savings while building resilience against fluctuating energy prices.
Carbon Reduction
Using biogas and heat byproducts from anaerobic digestion as renewable energy sources helps wastewater treatment plants cut greenhouse gas emissions, supporting sustainability and net-zero objectives.
Process Optimisation
Recovered heat plays a key role in maintaining optimal temperatures within anaerobic digesters, enhancing biogas production and process stability. At CAW’s facilities, excess hot water and steam from boilers and CHP Units are used to support the sludge pre-treatment process, e.g sludge pasteurisation and thermal hydrolysis.
Grid Support and Revenue Opportunities
On other Wastewater Treatment facilities, owned and operated by Anglian Water Services, a sister company of CAW, excess electricity can be exported to the grid, generating additional revenue streams or energy credits, further enhancing the economic and environmental benefits of CHP systems.
Our CHP System Expertise
At CAW, we have a proven track record in the design, supply, installation and operation of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems for wastewater treatment plants. Our expertise ensures maximum energy recovery, efficiency, and long-term reliability.
Design and Build
We design and deliver tailored CHP systems that integrate seamlessly with wastewater treatment processes. By leveraging the latest technology, we maximise energy output, optimise heat recovery, and ensure compliance with environmental and regulatory standards.
Operations and Maintenance
Our expert team provides full-service operations and maintenance support to keep CHP systems running efficiently. We closely monitor performance, carry out preventative and proactive maintenance, and implement upgrades to enhance reliability and extend asset lifespan.
Process Optimisation
By fine-tuning system CHP performance, we maximise biogas utilisation, improve energy efficiency, and enhance overall plant operations. Our expertise in heat recovery strategies ensures that renewable energy generated is used effectively to deliver sustainability benefits and cost savings.
Speak to us about your next project
Our highly qualified engineering team specialises in optimising wastewater treatment processes, helping clients enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve sustainability. We work closely with clients to identify opportunities for energy recovery, heat reuse, and carbon reduction through advanced sludge treatment and CHP solutions and can help you develop a customised solution that delivers long-term benefits.
At our managed sites, we have successfully integrated CHP technology to generate renewable energy, lower reliance on grid power, and maximise the value of biogas. By continuously refining system performance, we ensure that wastewater treatment facilities operate efficiently while meeting environmental targets.
CAW Managed Sites
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