Wastewater as a source of nutrients

Using technology to link wastewater and energy wood to create bioenergy regions in China

The development of a cost-efficient, water-saving and sustainable irrigation system for plant wastewater facilities is one of the objectives of BIOWARE, a project promoted by the Federal Ministry of Economic and Technology. Above all in rural areas of China, wastewater treatment systems are either inadequate or non-existent.

A nutrient solution produced by means of biological wastewater recycling and comprising wastewater and groundwater could be the answer to this problem and at the same time it facilitates the efficient irrigation of energy wood plantations. Through the new irrigation method, not only water and money will be saved, but also the use of conventional fertilizers will be reduced by the controlled application of nutrients from the wastewater.

This also contributes to intensifying technology transfer between German and Chinese enterprises. Further co-operative German-Chinese projects in the area of renewable energies might follow, for example in conjunction with the processing of energy wood.

The irrigation system helps to control the water quality and regulate its supply. This takes place online so that the system can be operated without any time delay and from any location via Internet. The prototype developed in BIOWARE for technical implementation comprises three modules: an irrigation module, a control module and a monitoring module. The monitoring module records soil parameters such as moisture. Sensors transmit their measurements to the control module which determines the energy plantation’s nutrient requirements and communicates the exact mixing ratio to the irrigation module. The irrigation module produce a nutrient solution from municipal wastewater and groundwater which irrigates the energy plantation. This irrigation method leads to a greater biomass yield especially in dry regions. At the same time less groundwater is used and there are considerable cost savings in wastewater treatment in small municipal sewage plants.

Currently the Chinese bioenergy market for electricity-, heat- and fuel- materials is undeveloped. The new monitoring and control system contributes a valuable part for regenerative energies. One aim of BIOWARE is to support the Chinese energy policy to increase the share of renewable energies within the total energy generation to 16% until 2020.

BIOWARE, co-ordinated by the research service provider ttz Bremerhaven, started in October 2009 with a total budget of about 592.000 Euro. The plan is to install the prototype of the wastewater recycling system in spring 2011 in Yangjiteng, a small town near Chengdu with about 20.000 inhabitants. After a successful test phase, the system can be marketed and established as an overall bioenergy wastewater concept in other regions of China and thus bioenergy regions can be created (similar to the German bioenergy regions under www.bioenergie-regionen.de).

ttz Bremerhaven is a provider of research services and operates in the field of application-oriented research and development. Under the umbrella of ttz Bremerhaven, an international team of experts are working in the areas of food, environment and health.

Contact:
Christian Colmer
Head of Communication and Media
ttz Bremerhaven
Fischkai 1
D-27572 Bremerhaven (Germany)
Tel: +49 (0)471 48 32 -124
Fax: +49 (0)471 48 32 – 129
ccolmer@ttz-bremerhaven.de