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Alternative Energy Concepts for Swedish Wastewater Treatment Plants to Meet Demands of a Sustainable Society

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Alternative Energy Concepts for Swedish Wastewater Treatment Plants to Meet Demands of a Sustainable Society MASTER’S THESIS Alternative energy concepts for Swedish wastewater treatment plants to meet demands of a sustainable society CARL BRUNDIN EN 1707 2018-04-19 Master thesis, 30 hp (5EN067) Department of Applied Physics and Electronics Master of science in Energy Engineering, 300 hp Umeå University Author: Carl Brundin, [email protected]/+46 70 471 60 11 Identifying the most potential system configuration and integration at wastewater treatment plants, obstacles and good choices based on environmental and economic costs, efficiency losses, alternative technologies and political development. Corporate supervisor Christian Baresel, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute Supervisor Robert Eklund, Applied Physics and Electronics, Umeå University i Abstract This report travels through multiple disciplines to seek innovative and sustainable energy solutions for wastewater treatment plants. The first subject is a report about increased global temperatures and an over-exploitation of natural resources that threatens ecosystems worldwide. The situation is urgent where the current trend is a 2°C increase of global temperatures already in 2040. Furthermore, the energy-land nexus becomes increasingly apparent where the world is going from a dependence on easily accessible fossil resources to renewables limited by land allocation. A direction of the required transition is suggested where all actors of the society must contribute to quickly construct a new carbon-neutral resource and energy system. Wastewater treatment is as required today as it is in the future, but it may move towards a more emphasized role where resource management and energy recovery will be increasingly important. This report is a master’s thesis in energy engineering with an ambition to provide some clues, with a focus on energy, to how wastewater treatment plants can be successfully integrated within the future society. A background check is conducted in the cross section between science, society, politics and wastewater treatment. Above this, a layer of technological insights is applied, from where accessible energy pathways can be identified and evaluated. A not so distant step for wastewater treatment plants would be to absorb surplus renewable electricity and store it in chemical storage mediums, since biogas is already commonly produced and many times also refined to vehicle fuel. Such extra steps could be excellent ways of improving the integration of wastewater treatment plants into the society. New and innovative electric grid-connected energy storage technologies are required when large synchronous electric generators are being replaced by ‘smaller’ wind turbines and solar cells which are intermittent (variable) by nature. A transition of the society requires energy storages, balancing of electric grids, waste-resource utilization, energy efficiency measures etcetera… This interdisciplinary approach aims to identify relevant energy technologies for wastewater treatment plants that could represent decisive steps towards sustainability. Keywords: Wastewater treatment; Paris agreement; Energy-land nexus; Land-use intensity; Wind power & photovoltaics; High-temperature heat pumps; Synthetic inertia; Energy storages; Modular chemical plants; Haber-Bosch; Electrochemical ammonia synthesis; Fischer-Tropsch; Methanol synthesis; BioCat biological methanation; Electrofuels; Blue crude; Synthetic diesel; Synthetic gasoline; Synthetic natural gas; Synthetic Ammonia; Methane cracking; Combined cycle gas turbines; Fuel cells & electrolysers; Reversible Solid Oxide Cells; Battolysers; Smart grids; Electrification; Fuel cell mobility; Hydrothermal carbonization; Ultra-high temperature hydrolysis. ii Preface With this work I am completing the Master of Science in Energy Engineering program held by the Department of Applied Physics and Electronics at Umeå University. The program is my second academic education, where studies in Ecology on the University of Gotland were the first. Gotland won my interest once much due to the nice windsurfing conditions here. Yet again, this about 420-million-year-old tropical reef (Gotland) is home to me and my expanding family. From windsurfing to energy storage solutions Since Gotland is distanced from the mainland of Sweden and expensive electric cables are required to balance its electric grid, Gotland has also been designated as a location to test the new power-to-gas concept to allow for an expansion of renewable electric generation on the island. Power-to-gas is one of several technologies lifted in this report as being promising alternative pathways to support a sustainable energy transition of the society. My interest has grown strong during the work with this thesis to follow and work for an increased deployment of these technologies of the future. Acknowledgement I would like to express my appreciation to Christian Baresel, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, for giving me the opportunity to write this thesis and for guiding me along the way. Thank you also Robert Eklund, Applied Physics and Electronics at Umeå University, for your friendly support throughout the master program in Energy Engineering and during this master’s thesis. Special thanks go to my friends and my family, for your kind, loving and continuous support. Visby, Sweden, April 2018 iii Table of Contents 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Purpose ................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Target group ............................................................................................................................ 1 1.3. Scope of project ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.4. Method ................................................................................................................................... 2 1.4.1. Land-use intensities calculations .................................................................................... 2 1.4.2. Extended land-use intensities ......................................................................................... 4 1.4.3. Vehicle powertrain efficiency comparison ..................................................................... 4 2. Cross-cutting future analysis ........................................................................................................... 6 2.1. Requirements of a sustainable society ................................................................................... 6 2.1.1. Why is a transition necessary? ........................................................................................ 6 2.1.2. Political action and ambitions ......................................................................................... 7 2.2. Introduction to Swedish wastewater treatment plants ......................................................... 8 2.2.1. Energy feedstock ............................................................................................................. 8 2.2.2. Biogas in Sweden and the EU .......................................................................................... 8 2.3. Key challenges for future energy markets .............................................................................. 9 2.3.1. Recoverable energy ........................................................................................................ 9 2.3.2. Intermittency in supply and demand ............................................................................ 11 2.3.3. Smart grids .................................................................................................................... 13 2.3.4. Energy storages – status and future needs ................................................................... 13 2.3.5. Energy-land nexus ......................................................................................................... 14 2.3.6. Energy storages – towards a selection ......................................................................... 18 2.4. Chemical storage mediums ................................................................................................... 21 2.4.1. Fuel-to-wheel powertrain efficiency comparison ......................................................... 21 2.4.2. Synthetic hydrogen (H2) ................................................................................................ 22 2.4.3. Synthetic ammonia (NH3) .............................................................................................. 23 2.4.4. Carbon-based electrofuels ............................................................................................ 24 3. Alternative and competing energy technologies .......................................................................... 27 3.1. Gas- and steam turbines ....................................................................................................... 27 3.2. High-temperature Cells and Auxiliary equipment ................................................................ 27 3.2.1. Combined heat and power fuel cell (CHP FC) ............................................................... 28 3.2.2. Circular heat & High-temperature heat-pumps (HTHP) ............................................... 29 3.2.3. Reversible solid oxide cell (RSOC) ................................................................................
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