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Assessment of water-energy-emissions nexus in wastewater treatment plants using emergy analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Mahshad Modiri

    (Sharif University of Technology)

  • Atiye Haj Hasan

    (Sharif University of Technology)

  • Hamid Zafari koloukhi

    (Water and Wastewater Company)

  • Fatemeh Rostami

    (Sharif University of Technology)

  • Seyyed Mohammad Tafazzoli

    (Water and Wastewater Company)

  • Akram Avami

    (Sharif University of Technology)

Abstract

The aim of this study is to quantify the water-energy-emissions nexus in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). At first, energy auditing is done for two real WWTPs to find out the energy consumption of different plant stages and the energy-saving potentials. The power plant and carbon capture units are taken into account to assess the energy-emission nexus based on emergy flows. Then, the emergy analysis is applied to evaluate the environmental, economic and technical aspects. An emergy performance index (EmIGHG) is presented by the means of emergy flow diagram of the WWTP beside a power plant (considering the electricity production emergy cost) and carbon capture unit (considering the CO2 separation emergy cost). The ratio can be applied to assess environmental cost-effectiveness in terms of equivalent emergy values. The results show that the index has more generality (over 18 percent) than WWTPs conventional energy consumption indexes to evaluate sustainability and reflects GHG emissions emergy costs. The co-generation of heat and power from renewables is capable to improve sustainability, effectively. The present framework provides an efficient approach to assess the nexus in WWTPs for decision makers as well as engineers.ä

Suggested Citation

  • Mahshad Modiri & Atiye Haj Hasan & Hamid Zafari koloukhi & Fatemeh Rostami & Seyyed Mohammad Tafazzoli & Akram Avami, 2023. "Assessment of water-energy-emissions nexus in wastewater treatment plants using emergy analysis," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(10), pages 11905-11929, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:25:y:2023:i:10:d:10.1007_s10668-022-02559-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s10668-022-02559-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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