Clean and Renewable

Energy from Pulp and Paper

Waste Using MicroSludge

and Anaerobic Digestion

Demonstration Project

Crofton, BC

Dr. Rob Stephenson

Paradigm Environmental Technologies

Presentation overview

1. Project objectives and team

2. How P&P effluent treatment plant works

3. MicroSludge and anaerobic digestion

4. Expected benefits

5. Project setup

6. Project timing

7. Questions?

MicroSludge + anaerobic digestion of P&P WAS:Mill waste → clean renewable energy

Reduce mill operating costs• Electricity consumption

• Fertilizer purchases

• Sludge disposal

• Fossil fuels and polymer for dewatering

Reduce GHG emissions & environmental footprint

Demonstration project objectives

Project team

Project Team

Catalyst Paper Lower economic, energy, environmental costs

Paradigm MicroSludge to enhance anaerobic digestion

FPInnovations Canadian P&P industry’s R&D arm to lower costs

and environmental impacts

UBC Bio & Chemical

Engineering

Advance waste-to-energy technology

Training and research opportunities

Project Leads

Elemental Energy Manage renewable energy projects

BC BioEnergy Network Support innovative renewable bioenergy

technologies in BC

Facilitate industry Centres of Excellence

Project supporters

BC Hydro PowerSmart

Ministry of Forests & Range

Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources

Pulp and Paper Technical Association

of Canada (PAPTAC)

BC Pulp and Paper Industry Task Force

Crofton pulp and paper mill

P&P effluent treatment plant

BOD ≈ 1,100 mg/LBOD < 25 mg/L

MicroSludge

Technology Overview

MicroSludge

Patented sludge pre-treatment technology that makes

anaerobic digesters work better and faster

Why WAS digests so poorly

Extremely tough membranes protect cells and

limit degradation in anaerobic digesters

Conventional: ≤ 30% WAS destruction

limits biogas production

MicroSludge increases WAS destruction

increases biogas production

reduces digestion time

How MicroSludge works

IMPACT RING

VALVE SEAT

VALVE STEM

• High pressure cell disruption

• Accelerates WAS microbes to 300 m/s through valve

12,000psi

Cell Disrupter Valve

Liquefying WAS

Clear

Supernatant

Raw WASMicroSludge

Processed WAS

Opaque

Supernatant

Centrifuged samples

Cell lysis

Before MicroSludge After MicroSludge

MicroSludge bursts cell membranes of WAS microbes

Anaerobic bacteria consume more WAS at a faster rate

MicroSludge for Pulp and

Paper

Benefits for pulp mill effluent

treatment plants

MicroSludge + anaerobic digestion in

P&P effluent treatment plant

On-site Demonstration

Project Details

On-site equipment

MicroSludge demonstration plant

Operate MicroSludge and anaerobic digesters similarly to full

scale operations

Project schedule

Task 2010 2011 2012

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

Secure Funding

Project Design

Equipment

Procurement

Site Preparation

Equipment

Installation

Plant Startup

Routine

Operations

Analysis &

Reporting

Final Report and

Presentations

Deliverables of on-site demonstration

• Confirm lab scale test results

– Stable, fast and effective anaerobic digestion

• Show operating cost benefits

– More biogas, less fertilizer, less sludge for disposal,

less polymer, less electricity for aeration

• Show how capital costs can be reduced

– Simple and effective WAS thickening

– MicroSludge process thicker WAS

– Fast anaerobic digestion (smaller digesters)

Questions?

Dr. Rob Stephenson

rstephenson@microsludge.com

604 742 0360 x 226

Project overview

MicroSludge

Control

Anaerobic

Digesters

Test

Anaerobic

Digesters

WAS

Thickening

Test Activated

Sludge

Control

Activated

Sludge

Raw

Pulp Mill

Effluent

Hydrocyclone

Separated Water

back to ETP

WAS from

Effluent

Treatment

Plant

(ETP)

Clarifier

Biogas to

Vent or

Flare

Biogas to

Vent or

Flare

Sluge

Dewatering

Centrifuge

Effluent

to ETP

Effluent

to ETP

Pulp Fines

back to ETP

Screens

Pulp Fines

back to ETP

N & P Addition

N & P AdditionRaw

Pulp Mill

Effluent

Additional Equipment:

N&P

N&P

Control

Test

MicroSludge module

• Sludge thickening (dissolved air flotation)

• Caustic dosing

• Self cleaning screens

• Cell disrupter (500 LPH at max 14,500 psi)

• Process 1 to 2% of mill’s WAS

Anaerobic digester module

• 6 anaerobic digesters, each 1.5 m3

• 37°C, heated and mixed by liquid recirculation

• Biogas volume, CH4 content

• Automated sampling and control

Activated sludge module

• 2 parallel units of air activated sludge + clarifier

• N & P monitors control N & P feed pumps

• Treats mill effluent with anaerobically digested WAS

Digester performance with MicroSludge

Fertilizer with MicroSludge at a BC mill

BOD, Nitrogen and Phosphorus

Solubilized with MicroSludge

Reduced electricity consumption

Activated sludge/UNOX systems

High Sludge

Age

Low Sludge

Age

Sludge for disposal low high

N&P requirements low high

O2 capture efficiency low high

Power costs for aeration high low

• By providing a sludge management tool, MicroSludge

offers potential savings with low sludge age

• Test using oxygen uptake rate tests

MicroSludge +

Low Sludge Age

low

low

high

low

GHG reductions (FPI estimate)

GHG Reductions for Typical Canadian P&P Mill

(18 dry tonnes WAS/day)Tonnes [CO2 /year]

Biogas

Generation

Lower consumption of fossil fuels

Generate clean electricity and heat2,400

Reduced

Sludge

Less polymer for dewatering

Less fossil fuel for incineration

Fewer diesel trucks for sludge haulage

Less GHGs: land application, landfills, incineration

8,300

Reduced

ElectricityMore efficient aeration in effluent treatment plant 1,200

Less

FertilizerN and P recycled to effluent treatment plant 430

Total 12,330

Sensitivity of operating costs

No. Item

Estimated Savings in Annual Operating Costs

[$1,000/Y]

AConservative

(FPI)

BAchievable

CTarget

DPossible

1 Savings in Polymer Costs 220 270 300 375

2 Value of Biogas Produced 210 300 475 595

3 Savings in Sludge Disposal 140 220 280 350

4 Savings in N Fertilizer 295 460 690 860

5 Savings in P Fertilizer 100 130 200 250

6 Savings in Electricity for Aeration 195 380 380 490

7 Sub-total 1,160 1,760 2,565 2,920

8 Value of GHG Reduction 310 470 620 780

Estimated Total Annual Savings $1,470 $2,230 $2,945 $3,700

P&P effluent treatment challenges

Issue Proposed Solutions

Energy • Generate energy on site

• Reduce consumption of fossil fuels

• Increase energy efficiency

• Reduce consumption of electricity

Fertilizer Minimize and recycle fertilizer

Polymer Reduce solids for dewatering

Sludge disposal • Minimize solids generation

• Maximize solids conversion to biogas

Cost • Reduce energy, fertilizer, polymer, disposal

• Maximize recovery of energy, nutrients

Project team

Applicant and

Project Manager

ELEMENTAL

Project/Contract

Administration

ELEMENTAL

Host Site

CROFTON

On-Site Operations

CROFTON

UBC

PARADIGM

Senior Technical

Review

FPI

UBC

Operations

Manager and

Equipment

Provider

PARADIGM

Industry Liaison

FPI

BCBN

BC Hydro

BC P&PN

MOFR

Co-Lead

BC BIOENERGY

NETWORK

Academic Studies

UBC