Royal HaskoningDHV implements Nereda in Ireland
In a bid to improve the way waste water is dealt with in Ireland, Royal HaskoningDHV and EPS have partnered to construct Nereda technology based plants in Clonakilty, Carrigtohill and Shanbally. The new and refurbished plants use an innovative biological solution to improve treatment outcomes at reduced energy costs and regional footprint.
The European Union Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive came into force in 1991 and lays down requirements on member states to adequately protect sensitive waterways through the treatment of urban and industrial wastewater. It is up to individual member states to develop adequate technique and systems to deal with the waste produced by its citizens and industries.
Nereda
One such technique is Nereda, a technological solution to the purification of water which uses aerobic granular mass. The technology uses less energy than current systems and has a small footprint. The technology took twenty years to develop and perfect, and provides a leap forward for water treatment options. The technology was developed in the Netherlands by Delft University, the Dutch Foundation for Applied Water Research (STOWA), the Dutch Water Boards and Royal HaskoningDHV. The technology is being rolled out across the globe, including, among others, in Australia, Brazil, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, South Africa and Switzerland.
The introduction of the technology by Royal HaskoningDHV with partner EPS, one of Ireland’s largest waste treatment providers, will see three plants constructed through the partnership. The plants are all to be built in Ireland’s County Cork region, near the towns of Clonakilty, Carrigtohill and Shanbally.
The treatment plant in Clonakilty, now completed, saw the complete overhaul of the old Irish Water’s Clonakilty plant. The refurbished plant quadruples the old plant’s capacity to 20,000 population equivalent (PE). The second plant will be constructed in Carrigtohill. This plant will have a phase one capacity of 30,000 PE, with the future potential expansion to 45,000 PE in phase 2 and 60,000 PE in phase 3. The plant is being constructed due to increases in local need. The third plant, to be built in Shanbally, near the Cork Lower Harbour area, will have capacity of 60,000 PE. The region currently discharges much untreated waste into the local harbour and this new plant will significantly improve the quality of this water. The Shanbally plant will be completed by 2017.
Commenting on the project, Jim Palmer, EPS Technical Director, says: “We are delighted to provide Nereda as the next generation wastewater treatment technology to our clients. Nereda is a cutting-edge development which offers very low cost of ownership to end-users of wastewater treatment plants.”
Royal HaskoningDHV’s Global Director for Water Products and Innovation, René Noppeney, adds: “Together we are providing a sustainable solution to towns and cities facing challenges associated with urbanisation and the demand for good sanitation.”
