SEE Program - Norway
COMPANIA AQUASERV S.A. WON A NEW PROJECT WITH INTERNATIONAL FUNDING
At the end of March 2021, Compania AQUASERV S.A. has received official confirmation of winning funding for the Project to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using biogas for electricity and heat production, amounting to more than € 2 million, funded with grants from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Financial Mechanism 2014-2021, within the "Romanian Energy Program".
Through this project, implemented between March 30, 2021 - March 31, 2022, AQUASERV S.A. will replace the cogeneration installation (simultaneous production of electricity and heat), which currently operates at the treatment plant in Cristeşti - Mureş, with a much more efficient one.
Currently, at the Târgu Mureș waste water treatment plant, the biogas produced in the anaerobic sludge stabilization process takes place, in a cogeneration installation. The electricity and thermal energy are produced simultaneously, to partially cover the consumption of the waste water treatment plant. The existing cogeneration installation is approaching the end of its lifetime, being commisioned in 2000, through an internationally funded project, too.
The cogeneration installation currently operating at the Târgu Mureş Wastewater Treatment Plant:
In order to replace this installation, AQUASERV submitted the application for financing through the EEA and Norwegian Grants at the end of March 2020. The project entitled "Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by using biogas for electricity and heat production", in a total amount of 2,118,189 Euro, out of which 1.8 million Euro represents non-reimbursable financing, received the approval from Innovation Norway on March 30, 2021. The co-financing in the amount of 318,189 Euro, will be provided by AQUASERV Company.
More precisely, the project aims at capitalizing on the biogas resulting in the fermentation process of the sewage sludge, for the generation of electric and thermal energy at the Cristeşti - Mureş Wastewater Treatment Plant. Basically, the wastewater treatment process results in a significant amount of sludge. This sludge is subject of an anaerobic fermentation process which results in biogas production, which in turn is used as fuel for the generation of electricity and heat, using a cogeneration plant.
By implementing the project, the current cogeneration plant, which operates with a 455 kWe / 711 kWt gas thermal engine (biogas / natural gas), will be replaced with a high-efficiency cogeneration plant, consisting of 4 microturbine modules (4x200 kWe) and an almost double power of 800 kWe / 1500 kWt.
The feasibility study, part of the application submitted for funding, indicates important benefits of the project, including:
•Reduction by over 70% of the electricity consumption of the treatment plant, taken over from the National Energy System. More precisely, an economy of 5,798 MWh / year, equivalent to an annual consumption of 300 individual homes.
•Reduction of CO2 emissions by 1.215 tons / year, equivalent to the annual emissions of 300 cars, which cover 25,000 km / year.
•Net financial advantage following the implementation of this energy efficiency measure, of over 270 thousand Euro / year
•The use of biogas resulting in the sludge fermentation process for the generation of electricity and heat.
•Ensuring the necessary thermal energy for heating the buildings inside the treatment plant and for fermenting the technological sludge.
•Recovery of residual thermal energy from the cogeneration plant and its use for drying the sludge from the treatment plant.
Cogeneration turbine:
Turbine cogeneration plant:
About EEA and Norwegian Grants:
The European Economic Area (EEA) and Norwegian grants represent the contribution of Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Kingdom of Norway to reducing economic and social disparities in the European Economic Area and strengthening bilateral relations with the 15 beneficiary countries in Eastern and Southern Europe and the Baltic States.
EEA grants are jointly funded by all three donors, and Norwegian Grants are funded exclusively by Norway.
More details about the EEA and Norwegian Grants and the results are available at www.eeagrants.ro, www.eeagrants.org, www.norwaygrants.org and data.eeagrants.org.
