Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and the University of South Wales are testing a “novel form of wastewater treatment” which they claim can slash greenhouse gas emissions.
The project, named Oxyhywater, uses pure oxygen, rather than air from the atmosphere, to treat the effluent. The University of South Wales’ Professor Alan Guwy said initial findings revealed a number of environmental benefits as well as lower costs.
He explained: “using pure oxygen means that the amount of secondary biomass generated by the system is much smaller than in traditional wastewater treatments, which reduces the cost and energy requirements of secondary waste treatment”.
He added: “Emissions of greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide – which can be emitted during conventional wastewater treatment, with a global warming potential around 300 times greater than carbon dioxide – should also be much reduced in this process due to its enclosed design and the use of pure oxygen.”
The oxygen used is a byproduct from the production of hydrogen by passing electric current through water to produce its constituent elements, hydrogen and oxygen (electrolysis). Hydrogen can be used to fuel generators and vehicles with no carbon emissions.
Comments