Overview

This webinar will explore the current global engineering projects, industry challenges, innovations, drivers, and technology breakdowns.

Globally, traditional approaches to bioresources management are being threatened by emerging contaminants, water quality issues and air emissions. Consequently, there is increasing global interest in deploying advanced thermal conversion (ATC) processes as a means of processing biosolids. This session will present the global and UK specific drivers for change away from traditional methods of biosolids management and introduce the spectrum of ATC technologies being developed and deployed. In addition, the session will discuss the fate of emerging contaminants through ATC processes and address the new set of outputs that are created through ATC processes.

In Australia, thermal drying and carbonisation have emerged as the technology of choice to manage emerging contaminants such as PFAS and micro-plastics in municipal biosolids. To date, one facility has been constructed and is in operation, while another facility is currently under design for construction. This presentation outlines the learnings to date on the implementation of carbonisation technology in Australia. Lessons learnt were obtained from site visits to operating facilities both in Australia as well as overseas. This led to the adoption of proven design practices and identifying areas where further improvement is needed.

The subject of the final presentation will be autothermal pyrolysis as a means of increasing reactor throughput, thus making pyrolysis scalable for application at large wastewater treatment plants. The difference between conventional (allothermal) pyrolysis, (ie, without an oxidant) and autothermal pyrolysis and the benefits of introducing just enough air to the process so that the exothermic oxidation reactions drive the endothermic reactions of pyrolysis will be discussed. The amount of air required, and the throughput benefits will also be highlighted.

Speaker

Ross Wilson, Principal Bioresources Specialist, Atkins

Ross is a Chartered Chemical Engineer based in Glasgow, Scotland. Having worked across many different aspects of the water sector, he is now focussed on bioresources and is excited about the impactful innovations in this space.

Ross is dedicated to understanding and integrating the advances in treatment / resource recovery technologies, output markets and regulatory landscape to help clients plan for immediate and long term sustainable bioresources management.

Chiew Wong, Principal Process Engineer, Stantec

This presentation outlines the learnings to date on the implementation of carbonisation technology in Australia. Lessons learnt were obtained from site visits to operating facilities both in Australia as well as overseas. This led to the adoption of proven design practices and identifying areas where further improvement is needed.

Philip Pedros, Principal Process Engineer, Mott MacDonald 

Philip is a vice president and principal process engineer at Mott MacDonald. He has over twenty seven years of experience as a process engineer, in a range of wastewaters treatment and biosolids areas. This includes holding eight patents.

He has a background in thermodynamics and combustion and is interested in the thermochemical processing of sewage biosolids. He is currently investigating autothermal pyrolysis as method of operation that will allow for the application of pyrolysis at large scale wastewater treatment plants.

Time

08:00–09:15 GMT.

Software

The presentation will be delivered via Microsoft Teams. We recommend downloading the app from the Microsoft website, rather than using the web portal.