Optimisation of the energy consumption in activated sludge treatment plants using simulation model

This article aims to illustrate how modelling can be used to optimise energy consumption in a large wastewater treatment plant located in Saida, Algeria. An aeration control strategy is proposed to regulate the operation of surface aerators. The study involves implementing aeration control in the WEST software platform and analysing the impact of its implementation in terms of energy consumption reduction. Dynamic simulations were carried out using the activated sludge model (ASM2dModTemp), calibrated and validated with real operating data. The results show that aeration represents 51% of the total energy required in a wastewater treatment plant. The control approach used maintains treatment effectiveness and produces excellent effluent quality. Significant reductions were achieved, including 93% for oxygen demand, 98% for suspended solids, 20% for total phosphorus, and 98% for ammonium levels. This approach successfully reduced energy consumption by 26% within a month of implementation on a processing line.